The Right Way to Address Black Inequality

Doctorow deliberately brings Booker T. Washington into the story at the end of the novel, Ragtime, as juxtaposition to Coalhouse. Booker T. Washington was a famous black activist; he was in fact the first African American to have dinner at the White House. Booker T. Washington’s way to fight racial issues was really different from Coalhouse’s way of achieving equality. This difference between the two begs the question: what was the right way to address racism? Booker T. Washington fought peacefully for the inclusion of black people in industries and in education. He believed that African Americans should be friendly towards white people instead of using violence. He also believed that white Americans were not ready to accept the fact that blacks were just as intelligent and capable as they are. He was a great orator and used his skills to convince blacks that they could be respected by working up the ladder and succeeding in industrial fields. “Cast down your bucket where you are” (1895 Atlanta Compromise Address), he said. Blacks had the resources to succeed; they just needed to know how to use them.

On the other hand, Coalhouse uses violence to fight for his equality. He does totally the opposite of what Booker T. Washington wants his people to do. Booker T. says, “We are faced with a desperately brainsick man” (Ragtime 285) Washington is identifying with the white people when he says “We” and he calls Coalhouse a “brainsick man”. Doctorow uses hyperbole to describe Coalhouse’s attitude. The fact that Washington is successful, both in his approach to gaining racial respect and appealing to the public, makes Coalhouse the public enemy. The fact that Coalhouse is unsuccessful in getting what he wants and also because he is brutally shot at the end shows that his way of fighting for black equality was wrong and that he accomplished very little. Booker T. Washington’s success versus Coalhouse’s failure, promotes peaceful fighting for the black rights and shows negative aspects of the use of violence.

By Kevin Roy

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