Final answer:
Rutherford B. Hayes supported public education initiatives for African Americans to foster equality during his presidency, albeit his term also marked the end of federal enforcement of racial equality measures in the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
The president who supported public education for all black people, believing it would foster equality, was Rutherford B. Hayes. Although the Compromise of 1877, associated with his election, marked the end of federal intervention in Southern racial affairs and Reconstruction, Hayes did promote education initiatives for African Americans during his presidency.
Public education was an influential topic of the era. One notable example of educational support for African Americans is the Julius Rosenwald Fund, which, while not directly connected to President Hayes, exemplified the effort towards improving education for blacks during the early 20th century. This fund was responsible for building many schools for African American children in the South.