Civil Rights Advocates

Late 1800’s – Early 1900’s

The Matter of Civil Rights

The Promises of the Civil War Amendments 13th Abolished slavery 14th guaranteed

citizenship and equal protection of the laws

15th stated that right to vote could not be denied due to race, color or previous condition of servitude

Reality of life in the late 1800’s Vote was denied by

poll taxes, literacy tests, KKK

Jim Crow laws required legal segregation based on race

Economic opportunities were limited by lack of education and skills

Booker T. Washington

Born a slave Founder of Tuskegee

Institute Believed in Vocational

education( skill based) Wrote autobiography

Up From Slavery Conciliatory approach to

civil rights “Pull yourself up by your

own boot straps”

W.E.B. DuBois

Born in North a freeman Well educated

(Harvard) Founder of the Niagara

Movement → NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

Educate according to ability

More direct, militant approach to civil rights

Ida Wells

Born to slave parents Teacher/Journalist One of founding

members of NAACP Anti-lynching campaign,

suffragist “One had better die fighting

injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap”