Final answer:
African Americans pursued a multifaceted approach to achieve equal rights, with leaders like Booker T. Washington advocating for educational and economic self-improvement and W. E. B. Du Bois calling for direct confrontation of racial inequality. The Civil Rights Movement spearheaded critical legal and social changes, advancing African Americans' equality in various facets of American life.
Step-by-step explanation:
African American Efforts for Civil Rights
In response to the discourse of Equal Rights, African Americans engaged in a series of actions and movements to challenge and dismantle the institutionalized racism and segregation that persisted post-Reconstruction and well into the twentieth century. Notably, different strategies emerged among African American leaders. For instance, Booker T. Washington advocated for a focus on self-improvement and acceptance of segregation in hopes that building educational and economic strength would lead to recognition of equality. Conversely, W. E. B. Du Bois founded the NAACP and encouraged a more confrontational strategy to fight for civil rights and equality.
The critique of the term 'civilized' as it pertains to African American efforts is fundamental; it's a loaded term that carries connotations of cultural supremacy. African Americans were already 'civilized' in their own right and sought to attain equal status and fair treatment that was systematically denied. Their actions for civil rights included organizing and executing strategic legal challenges, grassroots activism, and the development of social institutions such as churches and schools to strengthen their communities and promote social and political change.
Amidst rising tensions and resistance to change, especially evident during events like race riots and the implementation of Jim Crow laws, the African American Civil Rights Movement emerged. This movement exerted an indelible influence on American society, culminating in legislative victories such as the Civil Rights Act of 1968, increased graduation rates among African Americans, and a significant rise in the number of African Americans attending college.