The Niagara Movement: Black Protest Reborn, 1905-2005

The purpose of this presentation was to examine the Niagara Movement as the initiator of a new tactic of Black protest that had its inception in 1905 with the creation of this movement. To further understand the impact of this movement, the factors which led to the creation of this movement were explored, an analysis of the purpose, history, failure and lasting effects were studied. Results indicate that the strengths were limited because: (1) it lacked the support of Booker T. Washington, the leading African American of the day and (2) it was an all-Black movement, which lacked the resources to be successful. On the other hand, the movement did give birth to the national mass protest movement which included whites and was a marked departure from the previous efforts and led to the creation of numerous national organizations. Some of these were the National Associational for the Advancement for Colored People (NAACP), 1909; the Urban League, 1910; March On Washington Movement (MOWM), 1940-41; Congress Of Racial Equality (CORE), 1972; Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLS), 1957; Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), 1960 and others. Seminal to this presentation was the debate between the advocate for a liberal arts education and the advocate for equality of his race, Dr. W.E. B. DuBois, and Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute who advocated an industrial education and a public conciliatory tone toward race matters. The stance taken by these two intellectuals continues to be discussed and debated. Their impact on African American and American societies, especially because of the controversial nature of their opinions, and impact on the education of African Americans are worthy of further study. Moreover, the revelation that Booker T. Washington secretly funded NAACP cases to help tear down the system he publicly support warrants more investigation. The stances of those two gentlemen continue to stir heated debate about their roles in history and there is a need for an objective look at the two outstanding African Americans with differing views.