Who was the founder of the NAACP advocating for higher education and civil rights for African Americans?

W.E.B. Du Bois was a co-founder of the NAACP in 1909 and was a prominent advocate for higher education and civil rights for African Americans. He argued against the accommodationist approach of figures like Booker T. Washington, who emphasized vocational training over liberal arts education. Du Bois believed that a "Talented Tenth" of the African American population should receive a classical education, which he thought was essential for achieving social change and civil rights. His perspective emphasized the need for immediate and active resistance against racial discrimination and injustice, which played a fundamental role in shaping the civil rights movement.

In contrast, the other individuals listed took different approaches or significant roles in the history of African American rights. Booker T. Washington promoted a philosophy of gradualism and self-help through vocational education. Frederick Douglass was a leading abolitionist and writer, advocating for a broad spectrum of civil rights primarily in the 19th century, and Martin Luther King Jr. emerged later as a significant leader in the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, focusing on nonviolent protest. While all of these figures contributed to the fight for equality, Du Bois's advocacy for higher education and his leadership role in founding the NAACP specifically align