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Comparing and Contrasting Up from Slavery and The Autobiography of Malcolm X

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  Booker T. Washington’s Up from Slavery and Malcolm X’s The Autobiography of Malcolm X both provide profound glimpses into the politics and ideologies of black America during their respective times. Both Washington and Malcolm were very prominent and controversial figures and both had strong mentalities about how black america should deal with the lasting effects of slavery on black america. On the scale of forgiveness of white people, Washington and Malcolm are on opposite sides of the spectrum, which makes comparing their stories quite interesting, especially with the complexities of their views overlapping at certain points such as education.  The most obvious contrast in the two autobiographies is their views on race in america. To the average 2023 reader of Up from Slavery , Washington’s views are shocking. Whether his views expressed were for pandering to white people or because he genuinely believed them, it is unclear. There are many quotes from Washington that a...
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What happens to a dream deferred?

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  What happens to a dream deferred? This is the central question of both the poem and of the emergent identity of black america during the Harlem renaissance. In Alain Locke's essay "The New Negro" and Chandler Owen's essay "The New Negro - What is He?", the question of what it means to be a black person during the Harlem Renaissance is explored through the lens of the economy, political climate, and social climate of the time. The challenges of racism, especially integration of black people into post civil war america brings about various problems for black people that must be addressed in order for it to go well. The poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes explores the idea of this opportunity for black people to make a new culture by asking the reader what happens to a dream that is suppressed? Locke's essay has a lot to unpack, and by analyzing it we can get a better look at what the idea of "the new negro" is. First in his essay he ...
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Freedom and Self Determinism

  The two stories “Up From Slavery” by Booker T. Washington and “Incidents In The Life of A Slave Girl '' reflect very insightful history and significance of slavery in America and the aftermath of the Civil War on black america. By comparing and contrasting the two stories on themes of freedom and self determinism, we can find the complex significance of different philosophies and messaging that were proposed during this time of US history. Freedom elicits many meanings, but in the context of these two stories, I want to explore what freedom means for the two writers, and how they differ. “Up From Slavery” tells the story of Washington’s pursuit and success of educational and economic freedom, and “Incidents In The Life of A Slave Girl” tells the story of overcoming slavery and finding what freedom means for her and her children. In “Up From Slavery” by Booker T. Washington, it is very evident that he was an extremely determined and strong willed person. Throughout the book,...
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