Read the excerpt from Up from Slavery by Booker T.

Question

Washington.

I do not believe that any state should make a law that
permits an ignorant and poverty-stricken white man to
vote, and prevents a black man in the same condition
from voting. Such a law is not only unjust, but it will
react, as all unjust laws do, in time, for the effect of
such a law is to encourage the Negro to secure
education and property, and at the same time it
encourages the white man to remain in ignorance and poverty

What is the strongest reasoning the author gives to
support his claim?

A. Laws that keep the poor or uneducated from voting are unjust.

B. Laws should not keep Black men who are living in
poverty or uneducated from voting.

C. Unfair laws can encourage White people to stay
uneducated and living in poverty

D. All laws can lead to unintended consequences and reactions.

Answer 1

The strongest reasoning the author gives to support his claim is:

C. Unfair laws can encourage White people to stay uneducated and living in poverty.

In the excerpt, Washington argues that the unjust law which allows ignorant and poverty-stricken white men to vote while disenfranchising equally situated Black men will have negative effects not only on the Black community, encouraging them to seek education and property, but also on white individuals, potentially fostering a cycle of ignorance and poverty among them. This highlights the broader implications of such laws.