What did Booker T. Washington believe would help end racism?

• A. Acquiring useful labor skills and proving economic value
• B. Forming violent protests
• C. Collecting large political power
• D. Isolating from society

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how Booker T. Washington believed racism could be reduced through practical, everyday progress. He argued that if Black Americans gained valuable labor skills and proved their economic worth, they would earn respect and opportunities from white society. This economic advancement would create a foundation for broader social and civil rights over time.

This approach was concrete in his work with the Tuskegee Institute and in the Atlanta Compromise, where he emphasized vocational education and self-reliance as a path to gradual improvement. In that view, economic competence would change perceptions and open doors more effectively than confrontation.

So, building useful skills and showing economic value is the best answer because it aligns with Washington’s focus on practical education and gradual progress as the route to ending racism. The other options—violent protests, seeking large political power, or isolating from society—do not fit his strategy as he framed progress through economic empowerment and practical training.