PRESENT DAY

"The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremest folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing." Booker T. Washington, The Atlanta Exposition address.

" Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission; but adjustment at such a peculiar time as to make his program unique. This is an age of unusual economic development, and Mr. Washington program naturally takes an economic cast, becoming a gospel of work and money to such an extent as apparently almost completely to overshadow the higher aims of life." W.E.B. DuBois, The souls of Black folk.

The battle of Ideologies between these two great leaders has raged on for nearly 100 years. Both of these men had similar aspirations for their race, but completely different ideas on how to reach the goal. In Brief DuBois philosophy involved the belief that education provides freedom, and Washington believed that through labor, financial independence can be achieved. Both of these philosophies have roots in the day and time when created, but amazingly the question can still be asked today. Which is a faster route to success in America?

Welcome to the American People II blog. For those of you who have never posted to a blog before here are some simple guidelines:

• Posting: Use this blog to post about anything relating to the readings, lectures and class discussions. You can also post about current events that relate to the issues raised this semester.
• Presentation Posts: Posts are required for oral presentations. A presentation post should include any short quotations, links, images, or video, that you might wish to use in your presentation.
• Read before Posting: Always read the other posts on the blog before posting, don't repeat the same material as a previous post unless you have something to add to the discussion. Consider making a comment on a previous post instead of posting on the same topic.
• Short Paragraphs & Quotations: Blogging is a short form. Posts do not have to be very long (two or three well written paragraphs.) Quality is more important than quantity. Use short quotations from the assigned readings, always cite your source clearly. Write brief, focused paragraphs.
• Cite Sources Clearly: Always cite your sources clearly, using a link to the source material if possible. Use the author's full name, the title, and the page number, if possible.
• Strong Links: A good post should include helpful links. Judicious use of links to key reference materials can ensure that your posts are short and to the point. Make sure you only link to authoritative, reliable sources of information.
• Relevant Images: Use images that directly relate to the topic of your post. Don't post images just for window dressing. Ask yourself: does the image add to the substance of the post? Or is it just eye-candy? The same goes for videos.
• Proof-read! Always proof-read and spell-check your post before publishing. Remember, spell-check does not check the spelling in the title of the post. A warning: this is a public blog and your posts will may be used during class discussion as well (big screen, 40 people reading your post,) so proof-read before publishing!
• Comment: Reward good posts with praise and constructive crticism and discussion. Be prepared for comments from unknown sources that may not always be polite. Don't engage in flame wars with anonymous commenters.