Final answer:
W.E.B. Du Bois advocated for the Talented Tenth, the most educated and capable 10% of African Americans, to become leaders who would guide their community toward political, social, and economic equality. He emphasized the importance of higher education and intellectual leadership over vocational training and contributed significantly to civil rights movements through various organizations and sociological work.
Step-by-step explanation:
W.E.B. Du Bois suggested that “The Talented Tenth” could elevate the larger African American community through cultural and political leadership. Du Bois emphasized that higher education and leadership skills acquired by the Talented Tenth would result in a cadre of individuals capable of guiding and uplifting African Americans in their pursuit of equality and civil rights.
He believed that social and racial equality would stem from the intellectual and moral leadership of these educated individuals. Du Bois asserted that, “The Talented Tenth of the Negro race must be made leaders of thought and missionaries of culture among their people,” highlighting the role of the Talented Tenth as agents of change and advancement.
Within this framework, Du Bois critiqued Booker T. Washington's focus on vocational training, proposing instead an academic program that maintained rigorous scholarly standards, such as those at Atlanta University. Du Bois's vision sought to produce leaders who could confront inequality, as he believed that the object of true education was to make “not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men”.
By establishing organizations like the Niagara Movement and later serving as a director for the NAACP, Du Bois translated his academic theories into practical actions aimed at achieving civil rights.
Du Bois's influence extended to the Harlem Renaissance, and his body of work, including The Souls of Black Folk and his sociological studies, informed his advocacy for legislative reform and socio-economic improvements for African Americans.