I was born Booker Taliaferro on the 5th day of April, 1856 to an unknown white man and my mother, the slave of James Burroughs, a small farmer in Virginia. In my early days of school my mother married a slave, a Mr. Washington Ferguson and I took on his name and became known therefore as Booker T. Washington.
I received my education from the Hampton Agricultural Institute in 1872, where a Mr. Samuel Armstrong was the principle of this institute. He believed highly that freed slaves should receive a practical education, and he is who influenced my beliefs of education. He became my mentor and soon after my graduation recommended me to head the Tuskegee Institute, where I gladly accepted and the Tuskegee Institute was founded on the 4th day of July, 1888.
There at the Tuskegee Institute we taught academic subjects with an emphasis on practical education. This education provided the skills for the students to be able to build a new building. My students worked long hours arriving at five in the morning and not leaving until nine thirty at night. I believe that “Blacks should not campaign for the right to vote, but that we need to prove our loyalty first without complaint before we think about being granted our political rights.”
My biggest opponent in my later years was Mr. W. E. B. DuBois, of which had plenty to say in opposition to my educational philosophy. He sincerely insists that my views reflected the views of white Americans but the best way for the blacks to achieve economic stability is through education. This is where I and Mr. DuBois disagreed. He wanted to revolt and challenge the political system for black equality whereas I believe that there was no need for this and that with hard work we would be successful. Mr. DuBois published an essay in 1903, in his book “The Soul of Black Folks”, which reiterated his opposition to my philosophies. We also disagreed on various other things, one of which being the development of the NAACP.
Although I had my critics like Mr. Du Bois, I still managed to be consulted by powerful White politicians and I had a say in the African American appointments made by Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft. I accredit this success with my educational upbringing and without it I would not havethe success I have had up until today, on this 14th day of November 1915.
-Booker T. Washington
Article written by:
Chad Trotter
University of Texas at Arlington
US History 1312
Feb 20 2011
Chad Trotter
University of Texas at Arlington
US History 1312
Feb 20 2011
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Works Cited:
DuBois, W. E. B. "The Souls of Black Folk." University of Virginia Library. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/DubSoul.html>.
Harlin, Louis R. "Booker T. Washington Delivers the 1895 Atlanta Compromise Speech." History Matters: The U.S. Survey Course on the Web. 1974. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/39/>.
Simkin, John. "Booker T. Washington." Spartacus Educational - Home Page. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAbooker.htm>.
Library of congress: African American Odessey
