Accommodationism
Accommodationism is a concept that emerged primarily among Black Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a strategy of accepting racial inequality as a means to secure concessions from a racially dominant society. This ideology is closely associated with Booker T. Washington, who, during his leadership at the Tuskegee Institute, advocated for economic cooperation and vocational education among Black individuals while downplaying the need for immediate social and political equality. Washington's philosophy was articulated in his 1895 Atlanta Compromise Address, where he suggested that Black and White people could remain socially separate but work together economically, urging patience from the White community as Black Americans sought to establish a foothold in society.
While accommodationism led to some successes in a challenging sociopolitical landscape, it also faced criticism and opposition. Notably, W. E. B. Du Bois emerged as a prominent critic, advocating for more direct action and civil rights activism through the Niagara Movement, which eventually contributed to the founding of the NAACP in 1909. The term "accommodationism" continues to be utilized in academic discussions surrounding racial relations, highlighting the complex dynamics of assimilation, protest, and the struggle for equality in the context of systemic racism.
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Accommodationism
Accommodationism refers to the outward acceptance of racial inequality by Black Americans in order to obtain concessions from a White-dominated society. This ideology is most commonly associated with Black educator and activist Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) during his leadership of the Tuskegee Institute. During the Reconstruction era (1863-1877), many Black individuals called for bringing about change through forceful or even militant means, but Washington instead advocated downplaying White racism and focusing on Black economic solidarity, racial pride, vocational education, and political passivity. In a speech delivered at the Atlanta Exposition in 1895, now commonly known as the Atlanta Compromise Address or the Atlanta Exposition Address, Washington declared that Black and White individuals could remain socially separate while cooperating economically, and implored White individuals to be patient while Black individuals established a foothold at the bottom of the socioeconomic order. The address established Washington as the dominant Black American political figure until his death in 1915.
By focusing on economic empowerment and separate community development, accommodationists managed to achieve modest successes in a violently oppressive sociopolitical climate. Nevertheless, institutionalized racism continued to encumber Black southern individuals, who migrated in increasing numbers to northern cities. Within a decade of Washington’s Atlanta Compromise address, new ways of thought arose to challenge accommodationism. In 1905, W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963), a former ally who had become a critic of Washington, organized the Niagara Movement as a radical alternative to accommodationism. The Niagara Movement precipitated the establishment of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909, ushering in a new era of protest through legalism and direct action.
“Accommodationism” remains in general use as an academic term among students of racial relations. “Accommodation” suggests a necessity to assimilate or “melt” into the dominant society without a forthright willingness to do so, unlike “conformity,” which suggests some level of willingness to blend into mainstream society.
Bibliography
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