4 chapters across the catalog
The hosts discuss the history of the Rosenwald Schools, a pilot program launched in 1912 by Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington. These schools were built across the South to provide education for Black children during the era of segregation. The segment explores the differing philosophies of Washington (bottom-up trades) and Du Bois (top-down "Talented Tenth") and how they were used to divide the community.
The "Talented Tenth" philosophy, popularized by W.E.B. Du Bois, is examined through a clip of Judge Joe Brown. The concept suggests that one-tenth of the black population should be highly educated to lead the remaining 90%. The hosts discuss the "brain drain" that occurs when elite black talent is recruited into predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and the historical debate between Du Bois and Booker T. Washington regarding top-down versus bottom-up community building.
The historical rivalry between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois is revisited to illustrate how black leadership has historically been infiltrated. Du Bois was influenced by Joel Spingarn, a military intelligence officer at the NAACP, while Washington’s Tuskegee Institute was infiltrated by R.R. Moten, an undercover agent. This historical context is used to show that government surveillance of black movements is a long-standing practice.
The ideological rivalry between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington centered on the best path for Black advancement. Du Bois advocated for the "Talented Tenth" and elite education, while Washington focused on industrial trades and pragmatism, with both men receiving significant funding from white philanthropists like Rockefeller and Carnegie.
