The document contrasts the philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois regarding African American advancement post-slavery. Washington advocated for vocational education and economic stability, promoting the idea of temporary acceptance of segregation, while Du Bois criticized this approach, favoring civil rights and higher education for the 'talented tenth.' Their differing views represent a significant debate in the African American struggle for equality in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.