Final answer:
Booker T. Washington advocated for the economic advancement of formerly enslaved persons through vocational training and entrepreneurship, focusing on self-improvement within the segregated society of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Booker T. Washington believed that the best way for formerly enslaved persons to advance themselves in American society was to pursue economic gains through vocational training.
Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, held the view that African Americans should focus on self-improvement and economic progress by acquiring practical skills. His philosophy centered on the idea that education in trades and agriculture could empower Black individuals to build wealth and stability within the confines of the existing social order. As an advocate for this approach, Washington stressed the importance of the Black community demonstrating productivity and gaining respect through their own achievements. While he acknowledged the societal limitations and segregation imposed by white society, he believed that African Americans could achieve social and political equality following economic advancement, a concept encapsulated in his famous 'Cast down your bucket where you are' speech.
The emphasis on vocational education and entrepreneurship was seen as a strategic path to uplift the Black community, earning Washington recognition as a leading figure in the African American empowerment movement during the early 20th century.