Niagara Movement

Definition

The Niagara Movement was a civil rights organization founded in 1905 by African American leaders, including W.E.B. Du Bois, to advocate for racial equality and challenge the accommodationist policies of Booker T. Washington. It represented a shift towards a more assertive and confrontational approach to addressing the systemic discrimination faced by Black Americans in the early 20th century.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Niagara Movement was founded in 1905 at a meeting held near Niagara Falls, which gave the organization its name.
2. The Niagara Movement's platform called for the abolition of all forms of racial discrimination, the right to vote, and equal educational and economic opportunities for African Americans.
3. The Niagara Movement's confrontational approach and criticism of Booker T. Washington's accommodationist policies led to tensions within the African American community.
4. The Niagara Movement's advocacy for civil rights and social justice laid the groundwork for the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909.
5. Despite its short-lived existence, the Niagara Movement's legacy continued to influence the civil rights movement in the following decades, inspiring more assertive and radical approaches to addressing racial inequality.

Review Questions

• Explain the key differences between the Niagara Movement's approach and Booker T. Washington's accommodationist strategy.
  • The Niagara Movement, led by W.E.B. Du Bois, advocated for a more confrontational and assertive approach to addressing racial discrimination and achieving equality for African Americans. This contrasted with Booker T. Washington's accommodationist strategy, which emphasized economic self-improvement and gradual progress within the existing social and political system. The Niagara Movement rejected Washington's approach as too passive and called for the immediate abolition of all forms of racial discrimination and the full exercise of civil and political rights.
• Describe the Niagara Movement's role in the development of the civil rights movement in the early 20th century.
  • The Niagara Movement's advocacy for civil rights and social justice laid the groundwork for the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. The Niagara Movement's confrontational approach and criticism of Booker T. Washington's accommodationist policies inspired a more assertive and radical approach to addressing racial inequality. Although the Niagara Movement itself was short-lived, its legacy continued to influence the civil rights movement in the following decades, as activists built upon the Niagara Movement's call for immediate and comprehensive action to achieve racial equality.
• Analyze the significance of the Niagara Movement's founding and its impact on the broader African American community.
  • The founding of the Niagara Movement in 1905 represented a significant shift in the African American community's approach to addressing racial discrimination and inequality. By rejecting the accommodationist strategies of Booker T. Washington and advocating for a more confrontational and assertive approach, the Niagara Movement challenged the status quo and inspired a new generation of civil rights activists. The Niagara Movement's platform, which called for the abolition of all forms of racial discrimination, the right to vote, and equal educational and economic opportunities, laid the foundation for the civil rights movement that would gain momentum in the following decades. Although the Niagara Movement itself was short-lived, its legacy continued to shape the discourse and strategies of the broader African American community in their pursuit of racial justice and equality.

Related terms

W.E.B. Du Bois:

A prominent African American scholar, civil rights activist, and co-founder of the Niagara Movement, who argued for a more aggressive approach to achieving racial equality.

Booker T. Washington: An African American leader who promoted a more accommodationist strategy, emphasizing economic self-improvement and gradual progress, which was challenged by the more confrontational approach of the Niagara Movement.

Accommodationism: A strategy of working within the existing social and political system, rather than directly challenging it, in order to achieve incremental progress for African Americans.