Question

Use the quotation and your knowledge of social studies to answer the following question.

"The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than artificial forcing. . . . It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercises of these privileges." —Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition address.

According to Washington, in order to better their situation, African Americans should...

Answer 1

The correct answer is to seek an education in order to better themselves and be able to compete with whites and have the intellectual and educational resources to challenge and eliminate segregation and any other racial barriers to their advancement. Indeed, Washington was an educator of great erudition and held several college degrees. He understood that during his time, political agitation in the form of protests and/or ideological confrontation would not be able to bring justice and equality to African Americans.

Since he had been born into slavery, he was aware that the vast majority of African Americans lacked a proper education and were mostly illiterate, which greatly disadvantaged them when trying to assert their rights. He concluded that it was necessary to favor the emergence of an elite of African American middle class leaders who would lead the Civil Rights movement. He was also very astute, as he presented a compromising public persona to Southern white supremacists and secretly funded legal challenges to segregationist laws and regulations.