Final answer:
African Americans employed diverse strategies for civil rights in the early 20th century, guided by leaders like Washington's advocacy for self-improvement, DuBois's legal activism through the NAACP, and Wells's anti-lynching campaigns. Their efforts founded the modern civil rights movement but did not achieve full goals in their lifetimes.
Step-by-step explanation:
African Americans in the early 20th century utilized various strategies to achieve civil rights, influenced by leading figures such as Ida B. Wells, Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. DuBois, and Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington advocated for gradual change, encouraging African Americans to improve their educational and economic status, thereby earning equality through self-improvement. In contrast, W.E.B. DuBois adopted a confrontational stance, calling for political activism and legal challenges to segregation, and played a crucial role in forming the NAACP to champion civil liberties and end racial discrimination. Ida B. Wells fought against lynching and championed racial justice through journalism and activism. Marcus Garvey, though not mentioned in detail in the reference material, advanced a different approach with his 'Back to Africa' movement and emphasis on black nationalism and economic independence. Despite differing methods and philosophies, these leaders laid the foundation for the modern civil rights movement, aiming to dismantle institutional racism and achieve social justice, although the full realization of their goals was not achieved within their lifetimes.