The end of Reconstruction and the period known as the Redemption gave birth to the “new Negro.” Gene Jarrett, associate professor of English at Boston University, defines the “new Negro” as an era “in which African Americans hoped to represent themselves in new, progressive ways, whether they were just concerned with politics or culture.” He goes on to say, “There was a transition from the old Negro, the plantation slave, to the new Negro, African Americans considered more refined, educated, sophisticated, and involved in the political process” (Ullian 2008). Although there was an overabundance of civil rights activists at the time, there were four men who individually stood out from the rest. While these four men may not have always agreed with each other's ideas, one thing is for sure; everyone wanted to eventually see a nation of equality, each believing in a different way to achieve it. These four men are Alexander Crummell, W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Marcus Garvey. Although these men all came from different backgrounds, they actually fought for the same cause. Alexander Crummell was born to a free family in 1819. Born into a life of activism, Crummell grew up in the house where the first African-American newspaper, Freedoms, appeared. Newspaper, it was published. Crummell worked with the American Anti-Slavery Society as a child and became the first black student to graduate from Cambridge. It was at Cambridge that Crummell developed his pan-Africanist way of thinking. Pan-Africans are people who believe that harmony is fundamental to economic, social and political progress and intend to unify and uplift people of African descent. Crummell also believed in the Talented Tenth, a term... middle of paper... men who brought about the birth of the "new Negro" and opened the door to the freedom enjoyed by African Americans today. Although no two solutions are exactly the same, the reason for the argument was undoubtedly the same. As for who had the best approach, trying to put me in the mindset of someone who lived through the times of these men, I would have to say Booker T. Washington. Even if adaptation seems like a way of giving up, accepting the situation in that moment and trying to improve seems much more human to me than struggling and losing lives. This is a topic that could contribute to countless hours, or days, of debate, but every person is entitled to their own opinion. However, it can still be said with certainty that, however you look at it or whatever approach you may think is best, these four men can be considered the founding fathers of African American freedom..