Final answer:
Booker T. Washington believed that economic empowerment and education were the best ways to strengthen the position of African Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Booker T. Washington believed that the best way to strengthen the position of African Americans was through economic empowerment and education. He argued that African Americans should focus on acquiring practical skills and vocational training to become self-sufficient and financially independent. By gaining economic independence, Washington believed that African Americans could then gain respect and social equality. His approach was sometimes criticized for being accommodationist, as he called on African Americans to adapt to the limits imposed by white society, but he believed that political and social equality would follow economic success.