Booker T Washington in Ragtime

In US History class, we recently learned about and simulated the debate between Booker T Washington and W.E.B. DuBois on how to respond to increasing oppression of black people in the Jim Crow South. Essentially, Washington wanted black people to make the best of their situations and to have friendlier relations between whites and blacks, while DuBois criticized Washington for submitting to the ideas of black racial inferiority and not pushing more aggressively for social equality. While we had this debate I couldn't help but think back to the scene in Ragtime where Booker T Washington was sent in to talk to Coalhouse, trying to defuse the situation. When we started the debate, I know that I was inclined to agree with DuBois, because it didn't feel right with my modern lens not to agitate against Jim Crow.

I didn't know nearly as much about Washington and DuBois when I read the scene in Ragtime. I only knew of Washington as a famous and respected educator, and I was unaware of how much Coalhouse's philosophy was different from Washington's. Going into the scene, I was on Coalhouse's side for basically every conflict he had. I admired the fact that he always stands up for what he believes to be justice. This was the only scene in which I didn't feel strongly as if Coalhouse was in the right, only because I had some vague knowledge that Booker T Washington was a respected historical figure. Now that I know more about Washington's philosophy as well as criticisms of it, I can see better where both Washington and Coalhouse come from during their discussion. 

The more I got into our US History debate, the more I understood why Washington was against black agitation for social equality. Washington's ultimate goal was for black people, after they had built up mutual respect and friendly relations with white people, to gain social equality with the support of white people. Washington therefore at all costs wanted to avoid antagonizing white people and worsening relations with them, which is what Coalhouse is doing with his terrorist campaign. As the leading black public figure in America, he has to try and salvage the situation to make sure the damage is limited (he tries to get responsible black people to denounce Coalhouse). We can also see where Coalhouse comes from. I see Coalhouse as a tragic hero, who proudly stands for his principles and takes that pride so far to the point where it costs him Sarah's life and eventually his own. This is the one scene where we first see the realization hit him that he may have taken his pride too far. This fact that proudly pushing for social equality was a futile enterprise would have been a counterargument by Washington against people like DuBois and Coalhouse, and this seems to get to Coalhouse as he starts tearing up and changing his demand for the life of Chief Conklin.

This is still the scene where I am not sure if I can see that Coalhouse is in the right. This scene takes his main character flaw, his pride, and shows how it gets to him. I think this scene is an interesting example of how Doctorow uses history to augment his story and the characters around those historical figures.