[AnAmericanMother]

Yeah, and in a perfect world folks could get all self-righteous like W.E.B. DuBois and say let's devote all time and effort to the "talented tenth" and let the others go hang.

But I think men like Washington and Carver, who (1) recognized the situation they were in rather than living in some idealistic fantasy world; and (2) figured out a plan to do the most good for everybody given the circumstances, did more to help the average black man or woman than all DuBois's fussing ever did.

It's a shame that the black 'establishment' has decided to follow the philosophy of DuBois rather than Washington et al.

[CatoRenasci]

Well, if you were black, and thought of yourself as in the "talented tenth" (and what striver doesn't), DuBois' approach has a certain self-interested attraction. Not to mention a whole lot of appeal to the white guilt-ridden crowd who can demonstrate their moral purity by admitting a few blacks to the better schools and training them to be salonfaehig for show and tell at liberal cocktail parties and foundation dinners.