We see throughout history the struggle that African Americans had to go through to obtain the freedom they won. America was founded on a famous document, as most know, called the Declaration of Independence, which states that "All men are created equal and independent, and are derived from certain unalienable rights." These rights apply to all men, black or white, and apply to all situations, including equality in education. African Americans deserved this right, but for years they were denied formal education, which is probably why they were demoralized for many years. That being said, over time, several African-Americans have defended these rights, rights which are also granted to them, but which they have never obtained. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Booker T. Washington continually advocated for equal education for his fellow African Americans. He fought for the equal education that African Americans deserved. Over time he developed an education plan that I believe did not really emphasize African American education as most would have liked, he advised blacks to stay in their place in the south (Harlan, Raymond 9). In fact, his philosophy was that African Americans had to earn respect and segregation from whites, they cannot demand it overnight. That they had to make the best of the situation by working and not confront the institutionalized racism in the South brought forward by Jure's segregation. He wanted them to have more industrial education to achieve this. So in a way he wasn't fighting for equality, he was urging African Americans to be educated to become better workers, to earn that respect and to just ignore the problem. Despite the political, civil rights and human rights setbacks that occurred with...... middle of paper ... just like any other white person, so they did already deserved. Washington was a great leader and an intelligent man, but his education plan did not bring as much equality to the school system for African Americans as it should have. American Schooling." Handbook of the Sociology of Education. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2000. 50-70. Print. Harlan, Louis R. and Raymond Smock. Booker T. Washington in The Perspective Essays of Louis R . Harlan. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1988. Print. McKenna, George. 55. Print.Tozer, Steve and Guy Senese. School and Society: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print..