An Interview with Martin Luther King Jr. and Booker T. Washington
by Emma W.
Social (In)Justice: Thank you both so much for taking the time to sit down with us here at Social (In)Justice, Mr. Washington and Mr. King.
Washington: The pleasure is all mine - publications such as yours are helping to spread the word for social equality in a positive and peaceful light.
King: I agree - awareness can only help our cause.
Social (In)Justice: Speaking of social change, when it comes to advocating for African Americans, what do both of you believe should be the nation's first step? Our readers want to know how they can make a difference back at home in their everyday lives.
Washington: I believe that the most effective way to foster black progress is to emphasize the importance of both education and entrepreneurship in black citizens. The black community must harness their power and exert their energies on industrial education and the accumulation of assets to build a solid foundation for future progress. We as a people must not wait to be handed our independence trough the law, but rather earn it ourselves through a focus on further schooling and economic progress. For your black readers, I suggest they hone their industrial skills and work hard in school.
Social (In)Justice: And you, Mr. King?
King: While I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of economic stability and the development of education for African Americans, a more direct approach must accompany such efforts. I too believe in a peaceful and nonviolent approach, but that peaceful approach must be put into action now. Now is the time for change in this country. The black community cannot wait any longer. I would advise your readers to speak out and let their voices be heard. Protest and call attention to the injustices you see around you.
Washington: I have to disagree, Mr. King. It is simply not the time to challenge the system we have in place. The black community must make the best of what we are given now, and learn to thrive with what we can create for ourselves. As I have often said before, "put down your bucket", and what you find may surprise you.
King: For years African Americans have been told, "Wait! Not now, the time is not right". The time is always right to do what is just. For if we do not demand change, "wait" becomes "never". Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Washington: Change takes time, and a radical approach will only backfire on black progress. I do not believe that any progress, however small, is a compromise. The entire nation must work together, and take everyone's interests into account. The views and interests of the white community cannot simply be steamrolled over - they must be carefully reviewed and accommodated to ensure a peaceful resolution of the issue.
Social (In)Justice: To wrap up this quick interview, Mr. Washington and Mr. King, what do both of you hope or envision for the black community in the years ahead?
Washington: While sacrifices must be made now, I believe the black community will thrive both economically and intellectually in the future. With such a foundation, there can eventually be hope for blacks to earn full participation in American society. In the long term, through the showcasing of black responsibility and reliability, black progress can be earned. I believe prejudice against the black man can be changed through such achievements, proving he is not a naturally inferior being. But for right now, we must work on taking the first step towards equality, and not a leap.
King: I have a dream that this nation will one day see all of its citizens as equals. I hope that the American people will learn to live in harmony with one another, where judgement is based on not the color of ones' skin, but instead on the content of ones' heart and character. That the injustice present in this nation will be transformed into freedom, and the hands across this country can be joined instead of being used to push one another away. In that sense, I agree with Mr. Washington that we need a peaceful approach to the dilemma, but complacency, as he advocates, will get us nowhere and shatter the possibility of ever getting the respect we deserve by the white population of America.
Washington: The pleasure is all mine - publications such as yours are helping to spread the word for social equality in a positive and peaceful light.
King: I agree - awareness can only help our cause.
Social (In)Justice: Speaking of social change, when it comes to advocating for African Americans, what do both of you believe should be the nation's first step? Our readers want to know how they can make a difference back at home in their everyday lives.
Washington: I believe that the most effective way to foster black progress is to emphasize the importance of both education and entrepreneurship in black citizens. The black community must harness their power and exert their energies on industrial education and the accumulation of assets to build a solid foundation for future progress. We as a people must not wait to be handed our independence trough the law, but rather earn it ourselves through a focus on further schooling and economic progress. For your black readers, I suggest they hone their industrial skills and work hard in school.
Social (In)Justice: And you, Mr. King?
King: While I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of economic stability and the development of education for African Americans, a more direct approach must accompany such efforts. I too believe in a peaceful and nonviolent approach, but that peaceful approach must be put into action now. Now is the time for change in this country. The black community cannot wait any longer. I would advise your readers to speak out and let their voices be heard. Protest and call attention to the injustices you see around you.
Washington: I have to disagree, Mr. King. It is simply not the time to challenge the system we have in place. The black community must make the best of what we are given now, and learn to thrive with what we can create for ourselves. As I have often said before, "put down your bucket", and what you find may surprise you.
King: For years African Americans have been told, "Wait! Not now, the time is not right". The time is always right to do what is just. For if we do not demand change, "wait" becomes "never". Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Washington: Change takes time, and a radical approach will only backfire on black progress. I do not believe that any progress, however small, is a compromise. The entire nation must work together, and take everyone's interests into account. The views and interests of the white community cannot simply be steamrolled over - they must be carefully reviewed and accommodated to ensure a peaceful resolution of the issue.
Social (In)Justice: To wrap up this quick interview, Mr. Washington and Mr. King, what do both of you hope or envision for the black community in the years ahead?
Washington: While sacrifices must be made now, I believe the black community will thrive both economically and intellectually in the future. With such a foundation, there can eventually be hope for blacks to earn full participation in American society. In the long term, through the showcasing of black responsibility and reliability, black progress can be earned. I believe prejudice against the black man can be changed through such achievements, proving he is not a naturally inferior being. But for right now, we must work on taking the first step towards equality, and not a leap.
King: I have a dream that this nation will one day see all of its citizens as equals. I hope that the American people will learn to live in harmony with one another, where judgement is based on not the color of ones' skin, but instead on the content of ones' heart and character. That the injustice present in this nation will be transformed into freedom, and the hands across this country can be joined instead of being used to push one another away. In that sense, I agree with Mr. Washington that we need a peaceful approach to the dilemma, but complacency, as he advocates, will get us nowhere and shatter the possibility of ever getting the respect we deserve by the white population of America.