The main debate occurs because they had three main leaders at the end of the 19th century, each with a somewhat different vision of how to better benefit African Americans:
Frederick Douglass: A radical abolitionist, he opined that blacks lacked the capacity to function as free citizens, and demanded the complete equality of races.
Booker T. Washington: Placed the white establishment in exchange for funds and support for historically black colleges and universities and economic opportunities.
WEB DuBois: I believed in focusing the efforts on the "tenth talented", the ten percent of African-Americans who could benefit better from a formal education, in the hope that their progress will inspire and allow others.
