Final answer:
Education was essential for African Americans following Reconstruction as a means of economic and social empowerment despite obstacles of segregation and discrimination. The establishment of public schools and legal efforts highlighted its significance in the black community.
Step-by-step explanation:
After Reconstruction, African Americans viewed education as critical for their progress and survival in a society that remained racially segregated and unequal. Despite facing significant challenges such as segregation and discrimination, the black community saw education as a pathway to economic and social advancement. Efforts to establish and maintain educational institutions, fight legalized segregation, and claim rights to quality education were central to the African American experience.
During Reconstruction, black delegates successfully pushed for the creation of public school systems in Southern states. The Freedmen's Bureau and other organizations made substantial progress by establishing thousands of schools attended by both black and white students. However, the end of Reconstruction often resulted in setbacks, but the drive for education remained. Into the twentieth century, the black community supported legal action and the establishment of organizations like the NAACP to fight for equal educational opportunities.
The importance of education in the African American community was also evident through self-education efforts and the role schooling played within the community, even though resources were often limited and schools for blacks typically focused on industrial education. Therefore, the statement that most accurately reflects the importance of education to blacks after Reconstruction is "Blacks considered education essential for economic and social advancement."