Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington was born as a slave in Franklin County
of Virginia on 5th April the year 1856. In the period 1890-1915, Washington was to
become one of America’s most renowned educationalist, writer, and spokesperson
as well as a political leader; being a leader from the last generation of
slaves, his main objective was to speak out for the oppressed African Americans
living in the South. Washington’s mother was a black woman from Africa brought
as a slave to America and his father, of whom he knew nothing about, was
rumored to be one of the white men who owned large plantations; as is to be
expected of those times, the man never acknowledged nor took any interest in
Washington or his mother after their casual fling. During the post civil war
period, and as a consequence of the 13th Amendment to the legal
decrees of America, Washington and his family -mother, brother (John) and
sister (Amanda) - were given their freedom from forced servitude. Washington
and his family then had to travel to Kanawha Valley in West Virginia to be with
his mother’s husband. All the while, Washington had a great desire to receive
education or at learn how to read and write (Washington, 1901).
After being declared free, there were no teachers to teach
the blacks and they had to depend on those who had a little education to share
it with the rest. While the old folks desired to receive some learning so that
they could read the Bible before their death, the younger black generation like
Washington had much greater ambitions and dreams for their lives. As a Negro
youth Washington narrates of the obstacles, disappointments as well as a myriad
of temptations which he had to defeat. The white boys on the other hand, had
few if any, frontiers that could act as impediments to their being whatever it
is that they wanted to be. This extensive paucity necessitated that, at the
tender age of nine, the young Washington had to toil as a worker in the salt
and coal mines of Malden.
According to Washington (1901) the desire for Booker T. Washington
to get an education was so strong that in 1872 he persuaded his step father to
let him sign up at the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute of Virginia
where he graduate three years later. In 1878-79 he went to Washington DC where
he furthered his learning at the Wayland Seminary When Washington turned twenty
five years old, and had received some learning, he went to Alabama where he
founded and headed the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, presently
called the Tuskegee University. Washington was married thrice and had three
children (Washington, 1901).
According to Puryear
(1996), despite being a very well-known and eminent leader, Booker T.
Washington was an African American leader who was always surrounded by a dense
cloud of controversy, especially in regard to his political and civil
inclinations. His objective as an educationist was to make certain that, unlike
in the former slavery era, the current African Americans could receive both
occupational and scholarly know how which would allow them to lead productive
and self reliant lives in the nation of America. Washington was convinced of
the fact that more than the political equity and power that they so craved, the
African Americans- many of whom were still stuck in illiteracy and severe
poverty- needed an education that would enable them develop prudence, patience
and enterprise. This meant that the African Americans had to act in submission
and acceptance of the severe discrimination and prejudice that was directed to
them by the whites as they toiled to achieve education and wealth so as to earn
the esteem of the white race. Not many African American enthusiasts were
pleased with this line of thought.
Scott and Stowe (2008) assert that it is surprising to note
that most of the cynicism and skepticism directed towards Booker T. Washington
did not originate from the whites as would be expected, but from his fellow
African Americans. According to them, Washington’s stand about politics and
civil rights was one filled with connotations and innuendos of submission and
deference to the whites. Washington was convinced that the black man was not
yet ready to demand civil equality, leave alone engage in political crusades to
be elected as political leaders. On the contrary, he felt that the African
American’s priority at the moment was to act in obsequiousness to the white man
so as to attain whatever necessary knowledge that they needed to achieve
economic independence and sustainability. One of Washington’s most vocal
critics was W. E. B Du Bois who even went ahead to form the Atlanta Compromise
refers to the sentiments voiced by Booker T. Washington in his September 18th
speech in 1895 where he urged the African Americans to forsake their political
and civil pursuits and instead aim for amassment of financial wealth and
education. Noteworthy is the fact that, despite his critics, many African
Americans were supportive of Washington’s approach. In fact the whites were
also accommodating of his mindset and with time they had allowed him such a
great level of influence among them that he was often time consulted on issues
such as the African American individuals or institutes most deserving on the
government’s support (Puryear, 1996).
Washington (1901) asserts that one of Washington’s most loyal
supporters was one Henry Rogers. This was an extremely rich man who lived from
1840-1909. Apart from giving Washington the moral and psychological support
that he need in the establishing of policies that governed his compromising
approaches, Henry Rogers was also very philanthropic to Washington and funded a
majority of his projects (Washington, 1909).
According to Washington et al (2007) one of the most
important accomplishment of Booker T. Washington is the fact that he enabled
the African American people of his race to understand the tenets of
civilization as well as the fundamental importance of education. He opened the
eyes of his people to the realization that a race’s journey upwards is not an
easy, straightforward and instant one but one which requires a lot of patience,
endurance and most of all sacrifice. With emphasis on the dignity of work and
importance of education, Scott and Stowe (2008) assert that Washington was able
to make the African American race realize that in order to achieve civil and
political equity or power, it is fundamental for any race to first of all
establish itself economically.
In addition to this, Puryear (1996) asserts that despite
living in an era that was concentrated with intense racial discrimination, forced
servitude and infringement of the African American’s human and civil rights,
Washington was able to campaign for education to be made accessible to his
people. Being one of the most ethical and principled leaders of his era Booker
T. Washington was also able to achieve the honor of being a recipient of
honorary degrees from two prestigious educational institutes of higher
learning: Harvard University and Dartmouth College. As already mentioned,
Washington was also the first appointed director and president of the Tuskegee
institute. This allowed him to achieve greater accomplishments by allowing him
the opportunity to establish many other public learning institutions in the
rural areas where the graduates of Tuskegee Institute worked as teachers. He was
able to achieve this through tireless of funds from willing benefactors. In
fact by the time Booker T. Washington passed away in 1915, there was an
approximate one and a half million US dollars in the Tuskegee Foundation (Washington
et al, 2007).
According to Scott
and Stowe (2008), Booker T. Washington, apart from writing several books which
are read and referred to by many scholars and academicians to date, was also
bale to achieve the great honor of being the very first African American
individual to be invited by the then US president Theodore Roosevelt into the
White House in 1901. To the millions of African Americans who were subjected to
intense discrimination and prejudice by the white Americans, this invitation
was an indication that there was still hope that one day, they would not be
judged by the color of their skins, but by their content of their character.
Booker T. Washington, one of the most re4nowed African American leaders of all
time passed away in the year 1915 after collapsing due to exhaustion and was
buried at the Tuskegee institute of Alabama which he had headed for many years.
In conclusion, it is indeed non-fallacious to assert that
Dr. Booker T. Washington was one of the greatest American men to have lived
during his time. His actions and services affected, not only the black people
from his own race but also the whites. Despite living in an era that was
concentrated with intense racial discrimination, forced servitude and
infringement of the African American’s human and civil rights, Washington was
able to campaign for education to be made accessible to his people. The industrial education which he fought so
hard to make accessible to the blacks was very instrumental in the enhancement
of agriculture and commerce in America. Unlike many educated blacks of his
time, Dr. Washington was never swayed by greed and the pursuit of implausible
dreams; he walked in humility and meekness before his creator always sticking
to his principles even when the circumstances around him were harsh and
unfavorable.
According to Washington et al (2007) one of the most
important accomplishment of Booker T. Washington is the fact that he enabled
the African American people of his race to understand the tenets of
civilization as well as the fundamental importance of education. He opened the
eyes of his people to the realization that a race’s journey upwards is not an
easy, straightforward and instant one but one which requires a lot of patience,
endurance and most of all sacrifice.
Bibliography
Puryear, M. (1996): ‘Ladder for Booker T. Washington, 1941’
Scott, E. J. and Stowe, L. B. (2008): ‘Booker T. Washington Builder of
a Civilization’ Project Gutenberg
Washington, B. T. (1901): ‘Up From Slavery’ New York: Doubleday
Washington , B. T., Du Bois, W. E. B., Chesnutt, C. W., Smith, W. H. Kealing, H. T., Dunbar, P. L.
and Fortune, T. T. (2007): ‘The Negro
Problem’ The Pennsylvania State University
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