Final answer:
Booker T. Washington's path to equality for African-Americans was through vocational education and economic self-reliance, focusing on practical skills to earn respect and gradual progress within society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Booker T. Washington believed that African-Americans could achieve equality by pursuing practical vocational training and by fostering economic self-reliance within their communities. Rather than embrace political activism or advocate for immediate civil rights, Booker T. Washington proposed that African Americans should focus on acquiring vocational skills, which would in turn lead to economic prosperity and earn the respect of the white majority. This approach, reflected in the foundational principles of the Tuskegee Institute, aimed to provide African Americans with a way Booker to uplift themselves through skills in areas like agriculture, mechanics, commerce, and domestic service. Washington believed that property ownership and hard work, rather than political agitation, would lead to African Americans eventually gaining equality and respect in society. This strategy is sometimes referred to as accommodation because it suggested that African Americans adapt to the socio-economic landscape of the time, while quietly working toward their progress.