African Americans After Reconstruction Era

By 1895, African Americans in the South had been liberated for about thirty years. Yet, their situation had hardly improved. Economically, a few had been able to obtain land of their own and most continued to work for white proprietors under various forms of labor arrangements. Thus, “legal” segregation came about in the form of Jim Crow laws throughout the South. During this time violence, intimidation, and lynching were common. The situations blacks faced in the years after Reconstruction were quite harsh but the alternatives given by leaders in the African Americans community provided some sort of relief. In their times, Wells, Washington, Turner, DuBois, and Harper were important and respected figures. Some of these leaders suggested that African Americans leave discriminating areas, while others suggested …show more content…
Washington thought that African Americans should focus on economic opportunities to begin with to make their lives better. White and black people can work together economically, but remain separate socially, said Washington. He argued against trying to do too much too soon; it takes time to accomplish political equality. Political equality, while an ultimate and important goal, should be set on the “back burner” and emphasis should be put on gaining economic equality. A lot of energy should not be used on pushing social equality, “The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera-house.” Vocational education was the preferred approach to advancement, not a liberal arts education. Washington urged white southerners to allow African Americans to take part in the economy saying, “in all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” Ultimately, Washington felt that if white southerners extended employment opportunities to African Americans it would have been in their best