The Future of the American NegroWashington, Booker T.
History
The Future of the American Negro
Washington, Booker T.
African Americans
machinery in a few months began to rob labour of its toil and
drudgery. The animals were given systematic and kindly attention.
Fences were repaired and rebuilt. Whitewash and paint were made to do
duty. Everywhere order slowly began to replace confusion; hope,
despair; and profits, losses. As he observed, day by day, new life and
strength being imparted to every department of his property, this
white son of the South began revising his own creed regarding the
wisdom of educating Negroes.
Hitherto his creed regarding the value of an educated Negro had been
rather a plain and simple one, and read: "The only end that could be
accomplished by educating a black man was to enable him to talk
properly to a mule; and the Negro's education did great injustice to
the mule, since the language tended to confuse him and make him
balky."
We need not continue the story, except to add that to-day the grasp of
the hand of this ex-slaveholder, and the listening to his hearty words
of gratitude and commendation for the education of the Negro, are
enough to compensate those who have given and those who have worked
and sacrificed for the elevation of my people through all of these
years. If we are patient, wise, unselfish, and courageous, such
examples will multiply as the years go by.
Before closing this chapter,--which, I think, has clearly shown that
there is at present a very distinct lack of industrial training in
the South among the Negroes,--I wish to say a few words in regard to
certain objections, or rather misunderstandings, which have from time
to time arisen in regard to the matter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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