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Up From Slavery Booker T. Washington has been one of my all-time favorite American heroes -- ever since I first read about him in 4th grade. Washington had a gift for writing, and his autobiography, as well as his essays, are very easy to read, understand, and enjoy. The more I study and learn about him, the more impressed I am with his vision, his integrity, and his drive to improve his people and their lot in life.
a good read with much information from the early america era. Booker T. Washington use the brain over violence and suceeded where others failed. excellent read.
This man and his "cadres" fought for and provided educational opportunities in a country that treated them worst than second class citizens. He was also willing and often did help southern whites in his community.
This book details the triumphant acts of Booker T. What an outstanding autobiography regarding a true American heroe.
What an honor it would have been to meet a man who provided so much to the African American man and woman. Washington's efforts to not only develop the famous Tuskegee Institute, but to positively build bridges with America.
A former slave who became a self taught, political mastermind came from the worst of what humanity had to offer to meeting and influencing American Presidents. It's ashame that in America, where education is offered legally, there is a 50% dropout rate among African American high school students.
This book should be a required reading in ALL schools, especially those predominantly filled with African Americans.
This book has an inspiring message, and gives a viewpoint that is not often looked at. I thought its content was instructional.
By the end of the book I wanted to start a college (as he did) and help my fellow man up from poverty any way I could. The history in not too debatable, as it is an auto-biography.
Up From Slavery was the warm-up, I guess, since it was the least offensive. Of course one reader's "least offensive" is another reader's "Uncle Tom".
I read this some time ago, combined with The Souls of Black Folk and The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. Still this is less a story of race than a story of faith, of vision, of the triumph of hard work, and the triumphs both in spite of as well as because of his fellow man.
However one can't fairly judge someone from that era using the criteria from the modern time- a fairly simple principle that is too easily forgotten.With that out of the way, let me say that as a southern kid in the late 60's reading this book I was tremendously inspired. We were hardly that far removed from Jim Crow, at least in years, so I think I was able to grasp a little of the obstacles Washington overcame.
By definition thus the history of the author, and this becomes one of the strengths of the books- the common sense, no-nonsense love of life that causes BTW to continually break through to the other side, and bring the reader with him. To not marvel at his accomplishments and to denigrate him with labels out of time is to do great injustice to the man, his relationship with God, and to his incredible achievements.To sum: it is inspiring and real, and it gives a glimpse into some of the peculiar hardships resulting from the peculiar institution, but the process is almost the polar opposite of the victimhood route of today- from someone who could most justifiably have claimed himself such a victim.
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