Daniela Duran
History 17B
14 October 2014
Booker T. Washington When I read the book, Up from Slavery by Booker Taliaferro Washington it really touched me. Washington was faced with many obstacles throughout his life but was able to overcome them and became one of the most influential spokesmen for African Americans of his day. Washington strongly wanted other African Americans like himself to get an education, so they would be able to improve their economic situation and would be able to finally receive equality amongst the whites. His movement made him a legacy in the eyes of people from all walks of life, not just African Americans. He was born in a Virginia slave hut on 1858. His mother was a slave as well and his father was rumored to be a white man. He was a well behaved boy and always strived for an education. He had a few obstacles trying to achieve an education as a young man but none the less was successful. Trying to help out his struggling family he would work and had no time for school. He worked at a mine and his step father would not allow him to attend school although his mother was more lenient about it and would get books for him. He was still determined to get an education and would read the books that his mother would get him. As he states in the book, he had no idea where his mother would get them but none the less he was very appreciative. After a while he was allowed to attend night school and he couldn’t have jumped on the opportunity any sooner. Soon it was very obvious that Washington was a very gifted child and would take in everything he was learning. He scarified many things just to be able to go to school and receive an education. When he moves to the Hampton Institute he soon became the star pupil or General Samuel Armstrong, head of Hampton. Washington also found work as a janitor to be able to pay for his classes which goes to show his dedication. He would do anything and everything to achieve his goals. Even if that meant spending long periods of time not seeing his family, even when his mother was sick and dying. When he did come back he would still work and earn money for his schooling. After he finally graduated he found pleasure in helping all of the other African Americans who were craving an education. All of his classes would fill up, even the night classes which were filled with young students and old men and women who were hesitant to learn. He was offered many other teaching positions and even went back to teach at the Hampton Institute which he has graduated from. Many students eager to learn he developed a plan to have student work at the school to pay for their schooling. While teaching at the Hampton Institute, General Armstrong got a letter asking to please recommend a principle for a new school in which they were going to open in Tuskegee. He claimed Washington was a good fit and Washington was pleased to teach there. Washington. He started off teaching in a building which was in horrible condition but was starting to win the trust of the whites. He wanted to teach African Americans everything from how to properly care for themselves to how to read. He wanted to start from basic. I believe he did this so that they could assimilate to the while culture. Since they were slave they might have really know the proper way and I think it was a good idea. He really did want his race to succeed and not he looked down on. His main goal was to better the life of his race by getting an education. He felt that by
getting an education white people would be able to see them as equals. I believe that even as a
child he had the same mentality that he did as when he was an adult. The book spoke about a
time how he was not able to stay in the hotel or even serve him. He didn’t cause a commotion,
but instead just accepted it. He was very well aware of the fact that African American had very
little power. They had very little money, not much
