Final answer:
After the Civil War, African Americans started their own educational institutions to address the lack of opportunities in existing colleges. This allowed them to pursue education and intellectual growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
After the Civil War, when African Americans were not allowed into colleges, many of them started their own educational institutions. This was a way for African Americans to gain access to education and pursue their intellectual growth. One prominent example is the founding of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Howard University and Tuskegee University. These institutions provided African Americans with education and training opportunities that were denied to them by segregated colleges and universities.This option (b) is the correct answer. African Americans took initiative and created their own educational institutions to address the lack of opportunities in existing institutions.