Du Bois also wrote, "When real and open democratic control is intelligent enough to select of its own accord on the whole the best, most courageous, most expert and scholarly leadership, then the problem of democracy within the possibility of American Negroes entering into world democracy and taking their rightful place according to their knowledge and power is also sure" (Du Bois 15). This meant that African-Americans would not be able to show their true knowledge in American democracy if there would never be a democratic leader that possessed the qualities of a true and honest leader. Without a sincere and open democratic leader that would give African-Americans a chance in democracy, there would be no African-American politicians. African-Americans would not have the opportunity to enter the political realm and reveal their true knowledge for politics. Similarly, West had the same views as Du Bois.
Cornel West has been a very prestigious professor at Harvard University. Many people have revered his opinions on many different subject matters. In reality, West could be, and was, considered a leader himself. In his passage, "Learning to Talk of Race," written in 1992, West ended up describing a leader similar to him. West wrote, "We need leaders-neither saints nor sparkling television personalities-who can situate themselves with a larger historical narrative of this country and world, who can grasp the complex dynamics of our peoplehood and imagine a future grounded in the best of our past, yet attuned to the frightening obstacles that now perplex us" (West 240). West felt that having this type of leader would adequately support and activate the positive aspects of our human nature (West 240). For West believed the race related issue of the Los Angeles riots were not caused by racism, rather provoked by racism (West 237). If America had this certain leader, this leader that induced the better positive halves of people, then racially intended violence and discrimination would slowly cease.