The Debate Regarding the Freedmans Bureau Essay -- African American B

The Debate Regarding the Freedman's Bureau Historians and political theorists have delineated the concept of equality into two categories: the competitive individualist notion of equality of process and the egalitarian ideal of equality of results. The former is concerned with providing a level playing field for all, while the latter focuses on a just distribution resulting from the process. Richard Ellis, in his book American Political Cultures, challenges the Hartzian thesis that historically Americans favored equality of process over equality of results, making them competitive individualists. Ellis argues that â€Å"what is exceptional about America is not that it lacked a results-oriented vision of equality but that those who favored equalizing results believed that equal process was a sufficient condition for realizing equal results† (Ellis 1993: 44). In other words, the egalitarian spirit was not absent from American history, but Americans believed that justice would best be served through competition. Ellis is correct in making this fine distinction, yet it is important to note that historical evidence suggests that some factions clearly emphasized equality of results regardless of equality of process. In The Souls of Black Folk, W.E.B. Du Bois’ recounting of the political debate regarding the Freedman’s Bureau, clearly highlights this ideological difference. Du Bois poignantly captures the necessity for a legal equalizing measure in his description of the tragedy of slavery and the ragged, conflicted nature of the black consciousness that resulted. He writes, â€Å"the facing of so vast a prejudice could not but bring the inevitable self-questioning, self-disparagement, and lowering of ideals which ever accompany repressio... ...ows, that given dire circumstances, Americans indeed turn to measures to ensure equality of results rather than relying on equality of processes. Of course, suffrage left much to be desired for African American equality. Jim Crow laws and other forms of racism continued to plague American society for many decades to follow. Nonetheless, the legacy of the Bureau remains an important part of American political history. It may require extreme instances of human misery, tragedy, and utter inequality (such as the institution of slavery) to highlight a push for equality of results regardless of the processes. This egalitarian ideology clearly is evident in post-Civil War American legislation. Works Cited: Du Bois, W.E.B. 1997. The Souls of Black Folk. Boston: Bedford Books. Ellis, Richard. 1993. American Political Cultures, New York: Oxford University Press.