Publicly criticizing Washington's accommodative and cautious attitude, W.E.B. Du Bois Jim Crow laws that separated and segregated Blacks and Whites were not something he supported. In order to protect civil rights, he advocated for greater political representation for African Americans and access to the best educational opportunities. Du Bois supported the development of a black elite that worked to advance the interests of the African American race. Finding a means to "be both a Negro and an American" was his difficulty. He believed that without any type of compromise, black people had the right to seek their equal rights.