Cast down your buckets... or cast your own bucket
While both Washington and Malcolm X were great activists and intellectuals of their time, their approaches to black empowerment could not be any more different. Both pieces of literature are autobiographical pieces, yet the way Washington and Malcolm X write reveals fundamental differences in their beliefs and ideologies. In Up from Slavery , Washington presents the role of African Americans to be passive: believing they should focus on vocational and real-life skills instead of fighting against segregation. Frequently called "accommodationism", Washington's beliefs urged African Americans to "cast down your bucket" into the existing social order. Conversely, in The Autobiography of Malcolm X , Malcolm X takes a more radical stance, fighting against inaction and social oppression. The glaring similarity between both authors was their reliance on self education and literacy as a means to achieving freedom. Both authors had to overcome great obstacles to achieve ...