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Difficulty: MediumBlack Education, HBCUs, and Philosophical Debates

Read the following excerpt from a 1908 essay by African American scholar and educator Kelly Miller:

'The dispute between the advocates of industrial and of higher education is a most unfortunate one. It is not a question of the one or the other, but of the one and the other... The two systems are cooperative, not antagonistic. The one prepares the masses to make a living; the other prepares the leaders to make a life.'

Based on the excerpt, which of the following statements best describes Miller's perspective on the philosophical debates surrounding Black education?

  1. A
    Industrial training programs should be entirely phased out in favor of a classical liberal arts curriculum to foster political resistance.
  2. Black education requires a dual approach that integrates vocational training for economic stability with liberal arts education for leadership development.Answer
  3. C
    Educational curricula should focus primarily on preparing students for emigration and establishing independent colonies outside the United States.
  4. D
    Secular academic instruction should be kept entirely separate from religious institutions, leaving churches to focus solely on spiritual development.

Answer

Black education requires a dual approach that integrates vocational training for economic stability with liberal arts education for leadership development.
The correct answer is correct because Kelly Miller explicitly states that the dispute between industrial and higher education is unfortunate and that the two systems are cooperative rather than antagonistic. He explains that one prepares the masses to make a living (vocational) while the other prepares leaders (liberal arts/higher education), thereby advocating for a dual, complementary approach.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the quote by Kelly Miller to identify his core stance on the relationship between industrial and higher education.
Miller states that the two educational systems are 'cooperative, not antagonistic' and that both are needed ('the one and the other').
Understanding his view on cooperation helps eliminate options that present these systems as mutually exclusive.
2
Evaluate the distinct functions Miller attributes to each educational system in the text.
He notes that industrial education prepares the masses to make a living, while higher education prepares leaders to make a life.
This shows that both vocational training and liberal arts leadership preparation are necessary components of Black advancement.
3
Match these findings to the option that best summarizes this dual, cooperative educational philosophy.
The correct option describes a dual approach integrating vocational training and liberal arts for leadership.
This option directly captures Miller's synthesis of the two educational methodologies.

Key Concept

Philosophical debates on Black education and the synthesis of vocational and liberal arts models.
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Topics

Black Education, HBCUs, and Philosophical Debates

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