Booker T. Washington, Builder of a CivilizationScott, Emmett J. (Emmett Jay)
History
Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization
Scott, Emmett J. (Emmett Jay)
African Americans -- Biography; Educators -- United States -- Biography; Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915
In another of these talks, on "The Importance of Simplicity," he said:
"In many cases young men in cities do not own anything in the world
except what they are carrying around on their backs. They have a few
collars and a few cuffs, some bright-colored socks and neckties, and
that is all; nothing would be left of the man if you were to bury
these things. A few collars and cuffs, neckties, and a few pieces of
cheap jewelry--that is all there is of such men."
Later in the same talk he said: "Short, simple, direct sentences
indicate education, indicate culture, indicate common sense. Some
people think the way for them to show their education is by using big
words, elaborate sentences, and by discussing subjects which nobody on
earth can understand.
"Whenever you hear a man using words or talking on a subject that you
can't understand, you can be very sure that the man does not
understand himself what he is trying to talk about. If a man is
talking about any subject, literary or what not, of which he is really
master, he will be so direct, so simple, so perfectly clear and
intelligible in the discussion of that subject that the most humble
person can understand what he is saying."
In a talk on "Being Polite," he said: "It is often difficult, I might
better say, it is always difficult, for persons to have genuine
politeness in their hearts when they live in a country that is
inhabited by different races. Here in the South, and throughout this
country, for that matter, we come into contact with persons of another
race, persons of another color. It takes some effort, some training,
and often some determination to say, in dealing with a person of
another race, of another color, I will be polite; I will be kind; I
will be considerate."
In a talk on "Being Economical," he said: "You will help yourself and
help this school if you will say to yourself constantly: 'This is my
home; this property does not belong exclusively to the Trustees, but
it is mine; I am a trustee, every student is a trustee of this
institution. How can I make every dollar go as far as possible? How
can I help cut down expenses here?'" And later on, "I want you to get
into the habit of saying: 'This institution belongs to me, belongs to
my race; every dollar that is spent here is spent for my benefit and
for the benefit of my race; every cent that is wasted here is my loss
and the loss of all the generations that come after me.'"
In a talk on "The Use of Time," he said: "You hear people speaking
sometimes about 'killing time.' No civilized man should be allowed to
kill time any more than he should be allowed to destroy any of the
other natural resources. When you find a man engaged in 'killing time'
you will find a man who is disobeying one of the most fundamental laws
of civilization. A man who habitually devotes himself to 'killing
time' is a dangerous citizen and the law against vagrancy is aimed
against him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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