Advancing The People and Strengthening a Nation Four...

The ending of Reconstruction and the period known as the Redemption gave birth to the â€Å"new Negro.† Gene Jarrett, a CAS associate professor of English at Boston University, defines the â€Å"new Negro† as a time â€Å"when African Americans were hoping to represent themselves in fresh, progressive ways, whether dealing with politics or culture alone.† He goes on to say, â€Å"There was a transition from the old Negro, the plantation slave, to the new Negro, African-Americans who were considered more refined, educated, sophisticated, and involved in the political process† (Ullian 2008). Although there was an overabundance of civil rights activists at the time, there were four men who individually stand out from the rest. Though these four men may not have†¦show more content†¦Upon completion of his academics Washington returned home as a teacher until the founding of the Tuskegee Institute in 1881. It is in this position that Washington was abl e to enlighten the people on his idea of how to obtain equality. Washington’s idea of equality lied behind the idea of accommodation. He believed that social equality and political rights would come only if blacks first became independent and enhanced their economic foundation, accepting the notion of separate but equal. It was then, he argued, that respect from the white community would follow. Tuskegee was built on these beliefs, becoming an institute that taught blacks primarily how to work and trained them to be permanent second-class citizens. In the words of Washington, â€Å"In all things social we can be a separate as the fingers, but as one as the hand on all things essential to mutual progress.† Nevertheless there was one man, influenced by Washington’s â€Å"Up From Slavery,† who believed that the only way to be equal was to be separate. Marcus Garvey unlike the three gentlemen aforementioned was born outside of the United States, in Jamaica. Although he was not raised in a place where segregation was a problem, Garvey dealt with racism at a young age. In 1912 Garvey ventured to London to take classes in law and philosophy at Birkbeck College. In 1914 Garvey moved back to Jamaica and formed the Universal Negro Improvement Association,