Booker T. Washington

Melanie Freeman

English 48B

January 13, 2009

Booker T. Washington: Up From Slavery

Booker T. Washington will always be regarded as a leader of the African American race who used his talents in writing and public speaking to help incorporate blacks into a racist, white society in the most humble and peaceful manner as possible.  Although he has been criticized for being too submissive, one can not deny his remarkable influence in education and helping newly emancipated blacks in finding a way into American society.  Booker T. Washington's views may appear to be somewhat modest by today's standards, but one must remember the influence of the time period he was in.  The South during the post Civil War era was incredibly racist, plagued with minstral shows, lynchings and constant references to slavery being "the good ol' days".  In order for Booker T. Washington to be received at all by the white population, he could not present them with views that were too extreme.  In his most famous speech, the "Atlanta Compromise", Booker T. Washington uses a very significant metaphor to portrays his views.  

"To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in a foreign land or who underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southern white man, who is their next door neighbor, I would say: 'Cast down your bucket where you are'" (681).

Response:

The meaning behind Washington's metaphor is for the African American race to realize that they must adjust to freedom slowly and take advantage of their skills and opportunities they are available to them now.  Instead of taking freedom to its extreme and expecting to hold the highest positions, the African Americans should utilize the knowledge they have in manual labor and start to work their way from the bottom up.  Washington uses his metaphor to encourage the African Americans to proceed with humility and modesty and to realize that they need to begin as members of the labor force. 

Although I think it may have crushed the dreams of a few newly freed slaves, overall Washington's speech was very uplifting and inspirational.  It drove many African Americans to find jobs and enter American society in the most effective way possible.  This speech was also extremely significant in the openness it created between the white and black races.  It was a compromise between what the whites at the time were willing to allow and what the blacks had been hoping to achieve.  

Booker T. Washington's role in the advancement of the African American race is undoubtedly clear.  By today's standards he may appear submissive but one has to acknowledge that for his time he made significant advancement in the motivation of the blacks and the open mindedness of the whites.