General Thoughts

In 1901, Booker T. Washington published this autobiography. Born into slavery, after emancipation, Mr. Washington developed a philosophy that African-Americans needed to sweep away the ignorance that their subservient position had left them with, and earn the respect of the whites through hard work and excellence. He founded the Tuskegee Institute to teach African-Americans how to study, how to work hard and intelligently (producing better results than the white businesses of the day), and how to have respect for themselves and others.
It is fascinating that he, though cognizant of the racism that often surrounded him, never lost his faith in the basic goodness of the people of all colors that he met. The only problem I am having with this excellent book was the knowledge I could not shake, that Washington's faith was not rewarded, and the white community of the day would not give the African-American community respect and fair treatment.

The first couple of pages are startling for the nonchalant way he relates that he doesn't know the year of his birth, nor the exact location, nor with certainty who his father was. He does, on the other hand, describe the tiny dimensions to the cabin where he lived and what life was like for the slaves.