W.E.B. DuBois criticized Washington's point of view due to its emphasis on vocational education and economic self-help. He believed that this approach omitted political and social equality, which he considered fundamental for African Americans. According to DuBois, African Americans should fight for equal rights and refuse to accept second-class citizenship. He believed that education and protest were the keys to achieving full civil rights and that African Americans should demand immediate and complete equality rather than accepting gradual and limited progress.
