If I were to be hired to teach at any school, I would have a lot of teaching methods to choose from that were advocated by strong leaders in the past. The only problem with this is choosing which method would be the most appropriate to implement in a given context.
Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, and Alain Locke all had strong, yet very different opinions regarding how to educate and empower the Black community. If I were asked to teach at a school in New Orleans that was primarily African American and was a lower achieving school, I would most likely use Locke's philosophy to inspire my students. Thriving in a situation such as their own would be difficult for these students because there is nobody to motivate them or set an example for them to follow. They are not being encouraged to search for more, rather they believe that there is no way for them to improve their lives and break this system. As Locke put it, these students are made to believe that they are "a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be 'kept down,' or 'in his place' or 'helped up.' to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or social burden" (New Negro, p.631). They are not motivated to turn their lives around because they do not believe that they have a voice. What Locke believes is that they should give themselves a voice through aesthetic representation (Section 8/28). Once they are exposed to the power they possess, they can represent themselves in however way they please. Art can be used as a tool to for liberation and these students must be aware of the change they can provoke once they utilize their tools. With this, they can free themselves and motivate themselves to have agency. Locke states, "Constructive participation in such causes cannot help giving [African Americans] valuable group incentives, as well as increased prestige at home and abroad" (New Negro, p.634). These students can inspire one another and inform their community of who they are and what they can achieve.
I would choose Locke's method over Washington's because Washington would only inspire the students to blend into society without really altering or bettering their lives. His philosophy is appropriate for those who would rather remain voiceless and go on living their lives as they already are. I also believe that Dubois' method would not be appropriate for these students because his method requires that these students graduate high school and seek higher education which is hard when they are from a low achieving school and have no motivation to do so in the first place (Section 8/28).
Alternately, if I were asked to teach at a highly ranked, achievement oriented school that was primarily white, I would likely take a different approach. While Dubois's philosophy was unfit for the school in New Orleans, his proposals would be appropriate in this context because the students in this school are already motivated and high-achieving and are more likely to seek higher education. The next step for them would be to use their mindset to their advantage by taking control and gaining political power. This activism would help them raise awareness of their needs and allow them to demand change according to their needs. Du Bois believed that these students should be political subjects who, if educated, have the right to demand civil rights and not to bargain them away in order to get economic rights (Lecture 8/18). These student must voice their opinions in a different way and take advantage of the resources that they have.
Yes, the students can express themselves aesthetically, but in a society that is mainly White, I would aim to mobilize my students both aesthetically and politically because these students enjoy some advantages that the students in the New Orleans school may not necessarily be exposed to. Which is why I would choose Dubois's method over Locke's method in this case. I would also choose to implement Dubois's method over Washington's method because Washington's method would not instigate change. It would not inspire these high achieving students to further their education and instead it would lead to a standstill in their progress.
Each of these philosophies are both brilliant and flawed. They can each be implemented and successful if they are practiced in the appropriate context. These men were highly influential at their time and a blend of their ideas would be the best approach to teach and inspire today's modern students.
Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, and Alain Locke all had strong, yet very different opinions regarding how to educate and empower the Black community. If I were asked to teach at a school in New Orleans that was primarily African American and was a lower achieving school, I would most likely use Locke's philosophy to inspire my students. Thriving in a situation such as their own would be difficult for these students because there is nobody to motivate them or set an example for them to follow. They are not being encouraged to search for more, rather they believe that there is no way for them to improve their lives and break this system. As Locke put it, these students are made to believe that they are "a something to be argued about, condemned or defended, to be 'kept down,' or 'in his place' or 'helped up.' to be worried with or worried over, harassed or patronized, a social bogey or social burden" (New Negro, p.631). They are not motivated to turn their lives around because they do not believe that they have a voice. What Locke believes is that they should give themselves a voice through aesthetic representation (Section 8/28). Once they are exposed to the power they possess, they can represent themselves in however way they please. Art can be used as a tool to for liberation and these students must be aware of the change they can provoke once they utilize their tools. With this, they can free themselves and motivate themselves to have agency. Locke states, "Constructive participation in such causes cannot help giving [African Americans] valuable group incentives, as well as increased prestige at home and abroad" (New Negro, p.634). These students can inspire one another and inform their community of who they are and what they can achieve.
I would choose Locke's method over Washington's because Washington would only inspire the students to blend into society without really altering or bettering their lives. His philosophy is appropriate for those who would rather remain voiceless and go on living their lives as they already are. I also believe that Dubois' method would not be appropriate for these students because his method requires that these students graduate high school and seek higher education which is hard when they are from a low achieving school and have no motivation to do so in the first place (Section 8/28).
Alternately, if I were asked to teach at a highly ranked, achievement oriented school that was primarily white, I would likely take a different approach. While Dubois's philosophy was unfit for the school in New Orleans, his proposals would be appropriate in this context because the students in this school are already motivated and high-achieving and are more likely to seek higher education. The next step for them would be to use their mindset to their advantage by taking control and gaining political power. This activism would help them raise awareness of their needs and allow them to demand change according to their needs. Du Bois believed that these students should be political subjects who, if educated, have the right to demand civil rights and not to bargain them away in order to get economic rights (Lecture 8/18). These student must voice their opinions in a different way and take advantage of the resources that they have.
Yes, the students can express themselves aesthetically, but in a society that is mainly White, I would aim to mobilize my students both aesthetically and politically because these students enjoy some advantages that the students in the New Orleans school may not necessarily be exposed to. Which is why I would choose Dubois's method over Locke's method in this case. I would also choose to implement Dubois's method over Washington's method because Washington's method would not instigate change. It would not inspire these high achieving students to further their education and instead it would lead to a standstill in their progress.
Each of these philosophies are both brilliant and flawed. They can each be implemented and successful if they are practiced in the appropriate context. These men were highly influential at their time and a blend of their ideas would be the best approach to teach and inspire today's modern students.
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