During the Progressive Era, two notable African American leaders who made significant accomplishments were W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington. Du Bois was a prominent civil rights activist and intellectual who co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. He advocated for full political, civil, and social rights for African Americans, and his book, "The Souls of Black Folk" (1903), became a seminal work in African American literature. Booker T. Washington, on the other hand, stressed economic and educational advancement for African Americans. He promoted vocational training and founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Washington's Atlanta Compromise speech in 1895 aimed to soften racial tension and foster economic cooperation between whites and blacks. Both leaders made significant contributions to the African American community and played integral roles in advancing civil rights during the Progressive Era.
