Final answer:
Booker T. Washington encouraged African-Americans to promote entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency as a means of empowering the African-American community. This approach aimed to challenge racial discrimination and provide economic opportunities for African-Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Promoting Entrepreneurship and Economic Self-Sufficiency
Booker T. Washington encouraged African-Americans to engage in entrepreneurship and strive for economic self-sufficiency. He believed that political activity alone could not make a person truly free and emphasized the importance of property, industry, skill, economy, intelligence, and character.
Washington advocated for patience and accommodation to the limits imposed by white society, relieving the fears of white Americans who worried about African-Americans seeking more equality.
Examples
By promoting entrepreneurship and economic self-sufficiency, African-Americans were able to challenge racial discrimination and empower their community.
Washington's ideas led to the establishment of businesses throughout predominantly black neighborhoods, such as Harlem in New York. These independent economic enterprises represented a key to racial advancement and provided African-Americans with greater opportunities and control over their own lives.
Impact
Washington's ideas influenced future generations of African-American leaders and contributed to the groundwork for the modern civil rights movement. His strategy of promoting economic empowerment and self-reliance alongside education created a foundation for challenging racial inequality and discrimination.