The civil rights leader who advocated for African American education and vocational training in the late 19th century was Booker T. Washington. Born into slavery, Washington became a prominent educator and founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which focused on vocational and industrial education for Black Americans. He believed that economic self-sufficiency and practical skills would empower African Americans and enable them to gain respect and equality gradually. His ideas were encapsulated in his famous 1895 Atlanta Compromise speech, where he urged Blacks to accept segregation temporarily while striving for economic progress. Washington's approach was influential but also met with criticism from leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois.