Booker T Washington's Beliefs

Words: 1211
Pages: 5
Open Document
During the Progressive era, many African Americans sought liberation from the cruel and unjust laws and treatment that oppressed their way of life. Many of these people looked to leaders in their own communities to help communicate their wants and needs for a better future in the post-Reconstruction years. One of these leaders was Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was a part of the last generation of black men and women born into slavery in 1856. But his life as a slave was unusual. Like many of his fellow slaves in Virginia, he worked on a plantation under poor circumstances, with little to no food and no basic comforts such as clothing or heat. However, because he was too young to do manual labor, he worked in the dining room and …show more content…
Washington’s early childhood experience with slavery and his interactions with white elites shaped his beliefs on the path to liberation. He believed that all blacks could follow his lead and work his way up to a higher social status. Washington thought himself to be the prime example of what an industrial education could do when combined with a little bit of help from whites. It was his opinion that the best way to become equal to whites socially and politically was for blacks to show their willingness to work and be loyal, useful members of society and be assets to the economy. Washington’s beliefs were also shaped by his mostly peaceful life as a slave. His conditions weren’t unusually poor and he was freed at a young age. This helped Washington form the basis of his path to liberation: economic progress while avoiding radical movements for political and social progress. Education was very important to Washington’s path to liberation. He had a industrial education and believed that it gave him the tools needed to educate himself and prove himself to the white elites in his lives. It had been ingrained in him that he was special, he was the excpetion to the rule that all blacks were lazy and stupid. Thus he saw himself as a leader at the Hampton Institute and later as the voice of the black community during the fight for liberation. He used his ability to gain the trust of white Southerners to build Tuskegee Institute into an exemplary school for industrial education. Once he had the ears of many influential white people, including politicians, he was able to move behind the scenes to progress the black communities. To the white public, who were fearful of black radical actions, Washington looked conservative and willing to move slowly. He used his friendships and trust with white leaders to put his ideas forward and show those who were wary of ‘radical’ black movements that the leaders were reasonable and gave those who were willing to work with them
Show More

Related Documents: Booker T Washington's Beliefs

Booker T Washington Research Paper

Booker T. Washington was a very prominent man who lived in the nineteenth century that survived and thrived while living through adversity. The things he did not only made an impact on the lives of people in Alabama but on a grander scale the world. If it were not for Mr. Washington there might be many differences in the United States of America. While Booker T. Washington helped shape the lives of African Americans, he also helped shape every American's life. By Washington's work ethics and beliefs…

Words 532 - Pages 3

Essay the story of all stories

1850s, Booker T. Washington put himself through school and became a teacher. In 1881, he founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Alabama (now known as Tuskegee University), which grew immensely and focused on training African Americans in agricultural pursuits. A political adviser and writer, Washington clashed with intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois over the best avenues for racial uplift. Born to a slave on April 5, 1856, Booker Taliaferro Washington's life had…

Words 1185 - Pages 5

Booker T Washington Influence

situation:” Booker T. Washington and news of the United States occupation of Haiti On July 28, 1915, the United States began a military occupation in Haiti. The intervention was part of long-term U.S. strategies to install more direct control over Caribbean and Latin American republics. African-American critics were quick to response to this new demonstration of U.S. supremacy in hemispheric affairs. One such critics was Booker T. Washington, famous educator and activist. Although Booker T. Washington…

Words 1043 - Pages 5

Booker T Washington Research Paper

Booker T. Washington In the days of slavery, not much detail was given to black family history and black family records. For this reason, Booker T. Washington knew little about his early childhood and exact details of his birth. He didn’t know the exact time nor the exact place but assumed it was in 1856 near Hale’s Ford, in Virginia. Washington remembers the dismal surroundings and the sad time it was for those of color. He didn’t know very much about his father, who was not a part of his life…

Words 2001 - Pages 9

Booker T WEB Reserch Paper

history as our great leaders Booker T. Washington (Washington) and William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (W.E.B. Du Bois). These men had to work hard and fight to make it in this world. The black people should be proud and hold their head up high; because, God is yet on our side. But still all men are God’s creation and when we accept this all of God’s people can be free. Because the determination of two black men; to rise, in their differences, and in their likeness. Booker T. Washington was not as well…

Words 1197 - Pages 5

The Atlantic Compromise Speech Analysis

In W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folks and Booker T. Washington’s The Atlantic Compromise Speech, both authors shared a common goal of helping African Americans during the Reconstruction Era. During this time period, Booker T. Washington and Du Bois were two of the main active leaders that fought for African American education. Despite this common goal, they both had different ideas about exactly what kind of education that African Americans should receive in order to help Blacks rise both politically…

Words 1670 - Pages 7

Booker T. Washington: 'Up from Slavery Essay examples

The autobiography of Booker T. Washing titled Up From Slavery is a rich narrative of the man's life from slavery to one of the founders of the Tuskegee Institute. The book takes us through one of the most dynamic periods in this country's history, especially African Americans. I am very interested in the period following the Civil War and especially in the transformation of African Americans from slaves to freemen. Up From Slavery provides a great deal of information on this time period and helped…

Words 2695 - Pages 11

How Did Ida B. Wells Play In The Civil Rights Movement?

Ida B. Wells was an important social reformer, and a good part of her work was done in the 1890s during the Gilded Age. This era witnessed marginalized communities intensifying their fight against discrimination and inequality, catalyzing significant legal and societal transformations in the struggle for civil rights. Ida B. Wells worked in the civil rights movement and used her platform as a journalist to advocate for social justice on topics such as lynching and segregation. Wells also played a…

Words 1952 - Pages 8

Booker T Washington Research Paper

Booker T. Washington The admired educator, Booker T. Washington was one of the most important black leaders since the post-Civil War Reconstruction. He was a educator, social activist, and writer. Exploring his history, what he did in life, and how it effects us today would be interesting. Booker T. Washington was born April 5,1856, near Hale’s Ford, Franklin County, VA. He was the son of an enslaved mother and a white father. His mother’s name was Jane and she belonged to James Burroughs…

Words 606 - Pages 3

Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery

Up from Slavery is a captivating autobiography in which Booker T. Washington describes his journey from a slave to the founder of the Tuskegee Institute. Washington relates to us his birth into slavery, as his mother was a slave he was considered the property of her owner. After the Emancipation, he and his family moved to Malden, West Virginia where he would work during the day with his stepfather in the mines and taking school lessons at night. His thirst for education drove him to travel over…

Words 654 - Pages 3