Who was a prominent critic of Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Compromise?

W.E.B. Du Bois was a prominent critic of Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Compromise, which advocated for vocational education and economic advancement while accommodating racial segregation and disenfranchisement. Du Bois believed that this approach limited the aspirations of African Americans and undermined their pursuit of civil rights and higher education. He argued for a more direct challenge to racial inequality, advocating for the "Talented Tenth" – a leadership class of educated African Americans who would fight for political and social equality.

Du Bois’s perspectives were encapsulated in his founding role in the Niagara Movement and later the NAACP, where he championed the importance of civil rights and higher education. His disagreement with Washington's views was significant in shaping the discourse surrounding African American identity and strategy in the early 20th century. This ideological divide represents a critical moment in the struggle for racial equality in America.