Final answer:
To Baldwin, overcoming the 'Negro Problem' involved recognizing African American dignity, pursuing comprehensive education, claiming civil rights, and participating fully in society. Figures like Booker T. Washington advocated for a focus on practical skills and gradual acquisition of political rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
In addressing what is often referred to as the Negro Problem, James Baldwin and other critical figures of the time advocated for approaches that varied in emphasis but converged on the notion of empowerment through various means. Baldwin believed in overcoming the problems faced by African Americans through the assertion of dignity, the pursuit of education, and claiming their political and civil rights. He stressed the importance of Black Americans recognizing their self-worth, participating in all facets of society, and not succumbing to relegation as second-class citizens.
Baldwin and others like Booker T. Washington, albeit in sometimes contrasting ways, saw the path towards the betterment of Black Americans involving not only industrial education and wealth accumulation but also the exercise of political influence and securing civil rights. Washington, in particular, advocated for a focus on practical skills and a gradual approach to acquiring political rights, working within the framework of existing societal structures.
In summary, overcoming the Negro problem, as Baldwin and his contemporaries saw it, entailed enhancing the African American community's economic stability, education, and civil rights, fostering mutual respect between races, and encouraging a society in which the success of one group uplifts the entire nation.