Evaluate the contributions to the search for civil rights of two of the following leaders: Booker T Washington, W E B Du Bois or Marcus Garvey.

The question requires that candidates make an appraisal of the contributions of two of the identified leaders to the search for civil rights. Candidates may offer equal coverage of the selected leaders or they may prioritize their evaluation of one, but both chosen leaders will be a feature of the response. Consequences/results may extend beyond the timeframe but they must be clearly linked to the issue raised in the question. Candidates may refer to Washington’s “gradualist” efforts to improve African American economic self-sufficiency, while accepting discrimination, as necessary to gain support from the white power structure of his time. They may assert that Du Bois’ demands for full and immediate social and political equality, while considered radical at the time, were crucial to the eventual end of racial discrimination. Candidates may contend that Garvey’s support for black nationalism and racial purity, while promoting black pride, gained little traction in the civil rights’ movement and was largely ineffective. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

Only a very few candidates chose to discuss the civil rights contributions of Washington, Du Bois and Garvey. Of those who did, there was a focus on Washington and Dubois but with very limited knowledge as to the philosophy or contributions of either man.