Which African American leader argued that Blacks should gain vocational skills and be content with segregation?

• A. W.E.B. Du Bois
• B. Ida B. Wells
• C. Frederick Douglass
• D. Booker T. Washington

Answer: (D)

The statement tests understanding of different strategies for Black advancement after Reconstruction. Booker T. Washington argued that Black Americans should focus on vocational education and practical, marketable skills to build economic strength and prove their value to society. He believed progress would come gradually and that accepting segregation for the time being would create a foundation for eventual civil rights through hard work and self-reliance, exemplified by his work at the Tuskegee Institute.

This contrasts with others who pushed for immediate civil rights and higher education, political activism, or anti-lynching campaigns. W. E. B. Du Bois urged direct action and the pursuit of higher education to challenge discrimination; Ida B. Wells-Barnett actively fought lynching and racial injustice; Frederick Douglass championed abolition and equal rights through political and legal avenues.