Which statement best characterize Booker T. Washington's approach to civil rights compared with W. E. B. Du Bois's approach?

Which statement best characterize Booker T. Washington's approach to civil rights compared with W. E. B. Du Bois's approach?

• A. Washington promoted immediate civil rights; Du Bois promoted vocational training
• B. Washington promoted accommodation and vocational education; Du Bois urged immediate civil rights and higher education for the talented tenth
• C. Washington believed in violent protest; Du Bois believed in political isolation
• D. Washington argued for segregation; Du Bois argued for integration only through the courts

Answer: (B)

The question contrasts two different paths Black leaders in the late 1800s and early 1900s believed would advance civil rights. One path emphasized accommodation and practical education that built economic power first, trusting that improved status would come later through steady, non-confrontational gain. The other path argued for immediate civil rights and insisted that leadership should come from educated Black professionals who could press for equality and push for larger social change, including access to higher education for a “talented tenth.” That’s why the best choice highlights Washington’s focus on accommodation and vocational education, paired with Du Bois’s call for immediate civil rights and higher education for the most capable leaders. Washington believed progress came through economic self-reliance and gradual acceptance within the existing system, while Du Bois urged direct action for citizenship rights and the development of an educated leadership to challenge segregation and inequality. The other statements don’t fit as well. They either swap the two figures’ approaches, imply violent protest, or misstate Du Bois’s stance on integration and methods.

The question contrasts two different paths Black leaders in the late 1800s and early 1900s believed would advance civil rights. One path emphasized accommodation and practical education that built economic power first, trusting that improved status would come later through steady, non-confrontational gain. The other path argued for immediate civil rights and insisted that leadership should come from educated Black professionals who could press for equality and push for larger social change, including access to higher education for a “talented tenth.”

That’s why the best choice highlights Washington’s focus on accommodation and vocational education, paired with Du Bois’s call for immediate civil rights and higher education for the most capable leaders. Washington believed progress came through economic self-reliance and gradual acceptance within the existing system, while Du Bois urged direct action for citizenship rights and the development of an educated leadership to challenge segregation and inequality.

The other statements don’t fit as well. They either swap the two figures’ approaches, imply violent protest, or misstate Du Bois’s stance on integration and methods.