Final answer:
African Americans fought for equality after Reconstruction using strategies like legal challenges and grassroots activism, as revealed by historical documents. Scholars like W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter Woodson played key roles in preserving African American perspectives and countering flawed historical narratives.
Step-by-step explanation:
After Reconstruction, African Americans continued to fight for economic and political equality despite facing racism and discrimination. Primary historical documents such as testimonies, autobiographies, and newspaper articles serve as evidence of this struggle. For instance, the courageous efforts of individuals and groups to mount organized resistance to racially discriminatory policies through legal challenges and grassroots activism were described in various sources referenced in this gallery. The documents underscore the strategies employed by African Americans—community activism, legal battles, and pushing for societal changes—that aimed at dismantling segregation and improving their livelihoods.
The work of W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter Woodson provides another lens, as they corrected historical narratives and documented African American perspectives. Their contribution was crucial in challenging the image of the contented slave and highlighting the systemic struggles faced by African Americans. Both the resistance during the post-Reconstruction era and the scholarly efforts to preserve African American history illustrate how black Americans were persistent in seeking to actualize the promises of the Declaration of Independence.