Question

Booker and Coates are two contemporary black men who have chosen different, but equally successful paths in life. What do they have in common with Martin Luther King and James Baldwin? How are the older men's thinking different from the younger men? Is it different? Booker quotes King at least once. Baldwin and Coates are both writers. Comment on two facets of similarity between the ideas of any two of these figures, and outline one big difference if you find one.

Answer 1

Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois symbolize early differences in the approach to black advancement in America. Both James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates enrich discourse on race using personal narratives and essays, while all figures aim for racial justice and equality. A pronounced difference lies in Washington's strategy of accommodation versus the outright critique of systemic racism by later thinkers like Coates and Baldwin.

Step-by-step explanation:

Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois were early civil rights activists who represented differing perspectives in the struggle for black advancement in America. Washington advocated for a gradual approach to racial equality, stressing the importance of vocational education and economic self-reliance within the black community. In contrast, Du Bois sought immediate equality and rejected any form of accommodation to segregation or white supremacy.

James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates, as writers, contribute to the narrative on race relations, with Coates's works like 'Between the World and Me' drawing on personal narratives to discuss the persistent issue of racial inequity. Baldwin also explored personal and social themes, often delving into the psychological aspects of being black in America.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision for racial equity and his nonviolent approach to civil rights have been influential to both older and younger figures, with someone like Booker extensively quoting King. The ideas of these figures, despite variations in strategies, converge on the fundamental pursuit of justice and equality for the black community, each adapting to the challenges and sensibilities of their respective times.

One key difference among these thinkers relates to how they conceptualize the struggle against white supremacy. Washington's strategy of accommodation differs significantly from Coates's forthright critique of systemic racism and Baldwin's emphasis on the psychological impact of racial injustices.

Learn more about Black Civil Rights Leaders here: