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Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech, September 18, 1895


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Dr. John Henrik Clarke said he reads this speech once a year and gets something new from it each time. Clarke emphasized the importance of Washington's message: Self-Reliance.

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Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Exposition Speech

ADDRESS BY BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, PRINCIPAL TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE, TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA, AT OPENING OF ATLANTA EXPOSITION, Sept. 18th, 1895.

 

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Board of Directors and Citizens:

 

One third of the population of the South is of the Negro race. No enterprise seeking the material, civil, or moral welfare of this section can disregard this element of our population and reach the highest success. I but convey to you, Mr. President and Directors, the sentiment of the masses of my race when I say that in no way have the value and manhood of the American Negro been more fittingly and generously recognized than by the managers of this magnificent Exposition at every stage of its progress. It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since the dawn of our freedom.

 

Not only this, but the opportunity here afforded will awaken among us a new era of industrial progress. Ignorant and inexperienced, it is not strange that in the first years of our new life we began at the top instead of at the bottom; that a seat in Congress or the State Legislature was more sought than real estate or industrial skill; that the political convention or stump speaking had more attractions than starting a dairy farm or truck garden.

 

A ship lost at sea for many days suddenly sighted a friendly vessel. From the mast of the unfortunate vessel was seen a signal: "Water, water; we die of thirst!" The answer from the friendly vessel at once came back: "Cast down your bucket where you are." A second time the signal, "Water, water; send us water!" ran up from the distressed vessel, and was answered: "Cast down your bucket where you are." And a third and fourth signal for water was answered: "Cast down your bucket where you are." The captain of the distressed vessel, at last heeding the injunction, cast down his bucket, and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water from the mouth of the Amazon River. To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in a foreign land, or who underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southern white man, who is their next door neighbor, I would say: "Cast down your bucket where you are" — cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded. Cast it down in agriculture, mechanics, in commerce, in domestic service, and in the professions. And in this connection it is well to bear in mind that whatever other sins the South may be called to bear, when it comes to business, pure and simple, it is in the South that the Negro is given a man's chance in the commercial world, and in nothing is this Exposition more eloquent than in emphasizing this chance. Our greatest danger is, that in the great leap from slavery to freedom we may overlook the fact that the masses of us are to live by the productions of our hands, and fail to keep in mind that we shall prosper in proportion as we learn to dignify and glorify common labor and put brains and skill into the common occupations of life; shall prosper in proportion as we learn to draw the line between the superficial and the substantial, the ornamental gewgaws of life and the useful. No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top. Nor should we permit our grievances to overshadow our opportunities.

 

To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted I would repeat what I say to my own race, "Cast down your bucket where you are." Cast it down among the 8,000,000 Negroes whose habits you know, whose fidelity and love you have tested in days when to have proved treacherous meant the ruin of your firesides. Cast down your bucket among these people who have, without strikes and labor wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, built your railroads and cities, and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your bucket among my people, helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen. As we have proved our loyalty to you in the past, in nursing your children, watching by the sick bed of your mothers and fathers, and often following them with tear-dimmed eyes to their graves, so in the future, in our humble way, we shall stand by you with a devotion that no foreigner can approach, ready to lay down our lives, if need be, in defense of yours, interlacing our industrial, commercial, civil, and religious life with yours in a way that shall make the interests of both races one. In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.

 

There is no defense or security for any of us except in the highest intelligence and development of all. If anywhere there are efforts tending to curtail the fullest growth of the Negro, let these efforts be turned into stimulating, encouraging, and making him the most useful and intelligent citizen. Effort or means so invested will pay a thousand percent interest. These efforts will be twice blessed--"blessing him that gives and him that takes.

 

"There is no escape through law of man or God from the inevitable: “The laws of changeless justice bind Oppressor with oppressed; And close as sin and suffering joined We march to fate abreast.”

 

Nearly sixteen millions of hands will aid you in pulling the load upwards, or they will pull you against the load downwards. We shall constitute one third and more of the ignorance and crime of the South, or one third its intelligence and progress; we shall contribute one third to the business and industrial prosperity of the South, or we shall prove a veritable body of death, stagnating, depressing, retarding every effort to advance the body politic.

 

Gentlemen of the Exposition, as we present to you our humble effort at an exhibition of our progress, you must not expect overmuch. Starting thirty years ago with ownership here and there in a few quilts and pumpkins and chickens (gathered from miscellaneous sources), remember the path that has led from these to the inventions and production of agricultural implements, buggies, steam engines, newspapers, book, statuary, carving, paintings, the management of drug stores and banks has not been trodden without contact with thorns and thistles. While we take pride in what we exhibit as a result of our independent efforts, we do not for a moment forget that our part in this exhibition would fall far short of your expectations but for the constant help that has come to our educational life, not only from the Southern States, but especially from Northern philanthropists, who have made their gifts a constant stream of blessing and encouragement.

 

The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than of artificial forcing. No race that has anything to contribute to the markets of the world is long in any degree ostracized. It is important and right that all privileges of the law be ours, but it is vastly more important that we be prepared for the exercises of these privileges. The opportunity to earn a dollar in a factory just now is worth infinitely more than the opportunity to spend a dollar in an opera house.

 

In conclusion, may I repeat that nothing in thirty years has given us more hope and encouragement, and drawn us so near to you of the white race, as this opportunity offered by the Exposition; and here bending, as it were, over the altar that represents the results of the struggles of your race and mine, both starting practically empty-handed three decades ago, I pledge that in your effort to work out the great and intricate problem which God has laid at the doors of the South you shall have at all times the patient, sympathetic help of my race; only let this be constantly in mind that, while from

 

representations in these buildings of the product of field, of forest, of mine, of factory, letters, and art, much good will come, yet far above and beyond material benefit, will be that higher good, that let us pray God will come, in a blotting out of sectional differences and racial animosities and suspicions, in a determination to administer absolute justice, in a willing obedience among all classes to the mandates of law. This, this, coupled with our material prosperity, will bring into our beloved South a new heaven and a new earth.

 

 

 

You can download the PDF file from the State Historical Society of Iowa

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Sounds a bit overly optimistic. Any perceived list of power is met by opposition. To the point where groups are organised against the dissolution of inequality.

 

Most country's wealth is due to exploitation, I don't see any paradigm shifts occuring soon.  

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Reading the speech it's easy to see why the great Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey had issues with certain aspects of Booker T. Washington's ideology. 

 

Self-reliance is critical to independence. But, trying to cozy up to white supremacists especially in the South was the equivalence of making deals with the devil. 😎

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It wasn't really about self reliance or independence  Booker T. Washington was trying help black people survive in a hostile violent social setting. He and his white audience knew most black people didn't own land or a business and never would. The lack of resources and violent white opposition prevented that.

 

Washington helped himself and black people by stopping black protest and any criticism of Southern whites treatment of blacks by Northern whites. He knew that and white people did too. After the violent suppression of Reconstruction and its attempts at legal equality for blacks, whites in neither section of the country were supportive of racial justice.

 

They wanted tranquility and commerce with each other. Any demand for black rights like the struggles by unions and agrarian populist for economic justice had to be repressed. Booker T. Washington was brilliant hard working former slave who built a successful black school. He was just what the white power establishment needed to shut blacks up about rights and equality. 

 

I can't get on board with his rhetoric, but I completely understand it. Survival and making the most of hopelessness is what we have always done. But regard Washington with a critical eye.

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Kenneth how old are you?

 

15 hours ago, KENNETH said:

Booker T. Washington was brilliant hard working former slave who built a successful black school. He was just what the white power establishment needed to shut blacks up about rights and equality. 


yes he built a successful black school that is still churning out educated people with valuable skills to this day. 

 

Given the period he operated the last thing the white power establishment wanted was educated black peoples. 
 

an amazing legacy and accomplishment.

 

 Contrast that with today, in a much less hostile environment we have Dr. Umar 😉

 

 

 

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I'm a HUGE supporter of Booker T. Washington (I used to use his picture as my avatar if anyone still remembers) and a proponent of most of his philosophies.

I think we should be accommodating to a CERTAIN EXTENT as long as we are in society where we don't have much power and control....until we get some.
Even then, this being a multi-racial and multi-cultural society we have to accommodate to get along with other people anyway.

It's not about going to one extreme or another, but about BALANCE.

What I really like about Booker T. is that he taught self-reliance and stressed that we as AfroAmericans need to develop the skills and attitude necessary for indepenence and building our own schools, banks, and other institutions. Our own towns, universities, etc....

It's funny how today you have a lot of pro-FBA people echoing his very philosophy all over the internet saying we should focus less on politics and more on finance.
Stop wasting time and energy trying to get Democrats or Republicans elected to office hoping THEY will change your reality once they get in and focus more on building schools, banks, credit unions, establishing businesses....then it won't matter WHO gets elect....you'll be secure.

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8 hours ago, Troy said:

Kenneth how old are you?

 


yes he built a successful black school that is still churning out educated people with valuable skills to this day. 

 

Given the period he operated the last thing the white power establishment wanted was educated black peoples. 
 

an amazing legacy and accomplishment.

 

 Contrast that with today, in a much less hostile environment we have Dr. Umar 😉

 

 

 

 

Troy sorry I didn't get back to you earlier.  I am 54 years old.  I'm a factory worker. In college and as a young adult I was involved in activism and protest for racial and social justice. 

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@Pioneer1, Booker T. Washington had good ideas.  But, trying to get along with the oppressor/enemy hasn't worked for AfroAmericans. It hasn't inspired the oppressor to atone for America's original sin.

 

As long as AfroAmericans let racism white supremacy off the hook, bow down and acquiesce to it, we'll always be a half step behind the eight ball. 😎

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🤣  Man yall HAAAAAAARD on my man Umar Johnson......LMBAO!!!

I don't know what the brutha is gonna do, maybe the school will be ready sometime this year....maybe......that's what he CLAIMED, lol


 

 

ProfD


We have to be more analytic with this......


It hasn't worked for SOME AfroAmericans.
It appears to have worked for others.


First of all, with some of our people NOTHING appears to work for them.
They don't get along with White folks OR eachother.
So how much of that can be chalked up to racism, versus just being too fucked up in the head to get along with anybody...not sure.


Second, you have people like Troy and Mel as well as more examples who appear to be smart and talented enough to maneuver in White society and extract wealth and success from it despite racism.  Not all or even most AfroAmericans will be able to get along with  White society on that level, but I think the opportunity should be there for those who can.

They clearly accommodated White society and it benefitted them.

Now....

Ofcourse as AfroAmericans, we need our own independent society....but we don't have one.
So in the mean time if we don't want to be accomodationists....what's the alternative?

 

How many AfroAmericans as individuals are independent and smart enough to live OUTSIDE of the grid without the help of White folks?

I'm not talking about Uncle Leotis and Jamar and 'em running the streets hustling and pimping and living in and out of jails and between girlfriends.

 

image.png.b8a836c6cb1df0b3c94e4f41aa93f1d7.png


"Let not the mind of White folks be in you
But be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing OF yo' mind
And thoust will be free indeed!"

 

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2 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:


🤣  Man yall HAAAAAAARD on my man Umar Johnson......LMBAO!!!


We have to be more analytic about this...

 

How many AfroAmericans as individuals are independent and smart enough to live OUTSIDE of the grid without the help of White folks?

 Bro, don't get me wrong...I want Dr. Umar Johnson to win. I would love to see that school come to fruition. H8ll, I could build it if I believed he was serious. 

 

While I'm one of those n8ggas from the hood who's done very well for himself given our circumstances, I still have that innate ability to detect BS from several miles away.

 

The reality is that if Umar was serious about that school, it would be up and running already. No excuses.

 

Regarding AfroAmerican self-sufficiency, as we've discussed, you're not going to get buy-in or cooperation from all AfroAmericans. Quite frankly, you don't want it either.

 

The objective should be to establish an agenda (plan) and 2) round up like-minded AfroAmericans who believe in the vision.

 

AfroAmerican mega-churches is a good example of it. While religion is their focus, the infrastructure is in place. Those churches are generating revenue without accommodating white supremacy.

 

Those churches bring in enough money to help those who need it the most. Unfortunately, they do not.

 

instead, AfroAmerican churches are full of sh8t to the extent that their leadership chooses to feed their egos and enrich themselves with zero interest in uplifting the AfroAmerican community.

 

There are plenty of AfroAmericans who are smart individuals living independently outside the grid of needing the help of White folks.

 

Where I live is a shining example of it. I live in one of the most affluent parts of the country for AfroAmericans. 

 

As NF Jr. brilliantly teaches, the system of racism white supremacy is the reason for ALL dysfunction on the planet regardless of which way the pendulum swings. 

 

AfroAmericans have to do a better job of destroying the prison of it both from a mental and physical perspective. 😎

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Is this speech by Booker T. Washington the one that motivated President Theodore Roosevelt to invite him to the White House?  Didn't  W.E.B. Du Bois the other famous black spokesman of that era oppose many of the stances Booker T. Washington took on race. Some historians have compared the relationship between the radical Du Bois and the moderate Washington to the one between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.  

 

15 hours ago, KENNETH said:

Troy sorry I didn't get back to you earlier.  I am 54 years old.  I'm a factory worker. In college and as a young adult I was involved in activism and protest for racial and social justice. 

 

@KENNETHwhat an interesting resume. Did you get disillusioned by the confinement of college and the chaos of activism, and now prefer to immerser yourself in the ranks of the proletariat?  Or do you supervise the labor force, something your past experiences qualified you to do?  

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11 hours ago, Cynique said:

Is this speech by Booker T. Washington the one that motivated President Theodore Roosevelt to invite him to the White House?  Didn't  W.E.B. Du Bois the other famous black spokesman of that era oppose many of the stances Booker T. Washington took on race. Some historians have compared the relationship between the radical Du Bois and the moderate Washington to the one between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.  

 

 

@KENNETHwhat an interesting resume. Did you get disillusioned by the confinement of college and the chaos of activism, and now prefer to immerser yourself in the ranks of the proletariat?  Or do you supervise the labor force, something your past experiences qualified you to do?  

 

I married a sista who had two small children and we had two more together. Working in different jobs often low paid service positions and a couple of professional jobs making ends meet and having a family quickly pushed aside protest activism. 

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12 hours ago, KENNETH said:

I married a sista who had two small children and we had two more together. Working in different jobs often low paid service positions and a couple of professional jobs making ends meet and having a family quickly pushed aside protest activism. 

@KENNETH Was journalism your original field?  You are an excellent writer; a concise critical thinker 

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Good Multilog, 

 

@Troy Marcus Garvey/booker t washington/ web dubois tend to engender long multilog among black people in the usa for their time, post war between the states, was the most important time for Black people in the USA since, in terms of deciding how the community will act in the immediate future to modernity. 

 

In the end, all three leaders got what they wanted in part in the black community, not in majority. 

I can say I know , offline, black people , bLack descended of enslaved <BDE>, who have left the usa for the caribbean or africa to happiness or success. 

I know black people offline who have owned business for decades, some for a shorter time,  and have grown wealth. 

I know black people offline who are elected officials, or work in government positions,  and have fought and gained some rights through the legal system. 

 

Garvey didn't get his larger goal for two simple truth: 1) White people in majority have never supported Blacks, especially BDE's , leaving en masse from the usa. Whites in the USA  have always opposed that.  2) The Earth had no space. Whites killed the native american to make the american continent, were or are BDE's willing to harm black people in africa or the caribbean to gain? The history of Liberia gives an exhibit that a mass move would generate a huge black versus black violent spree wherever BDE's land in a black country. And most BDE's knew and know this and aren't interested in being a black reflection of the white american.

 

Washington didn't get his larger goal for one simple truth: 1) No community in the usa gains wealth without abusing another community or abusing its own community. And Washington was unwilling to accept that fact. He felt the Black community could gain wealth comparable to whites without murdering somebody for land, without enslaving or abusing somebody for labor, without being allowed illegal financial activity. But, he was dysfunctional in that disallowance and the black community since the war between the states absent enslaving some group, absent murdering some group, absent illegal allowances hasn't been able to financially have well springs. 

 

Dubois when younger, didn't get his larger goal for one simple truth: 1) Sooner or later a community under another will need or warrant or want more than legal equality and financial opportunity. The BDE community wanted more than what Dubois offered. A talented tenth and a racially just legal framework isn't what most black people needed or wanted or warranted. They needed more, wanted more, and warranted more. Dubois when older realized that but time had passed on opportunity. 

 

All three wanted betterment for the Black community en large or the BDE subcommunity in focus, all three had plans that required a gamble that relied on whites at some level. Dubois when younger gambled that subservient black labor will allow for whites to push for equal law but whites saw too much money and wanted too much money in abusive law to push for equal law. Washington gambled with an agrarian or comforting black community whites will have the patience watch black wealth support their own moreso but whites wanted or needed money at a faster rate than agrarian black life provided and thus jim crow. Garvey gambled white american's european desires like in argentina will support a larger black exodus but white americans in the usa, white statians, are not interested in living in a country absent a second class non white populace, and thus they kicked garvey, who is Black American but in a USA context a willing immigrant not a BDE, out using a black BDE no less.  And it was honest. One of the things that plague the modern BDE community today is most BDE are not aligned to the views of the BDE wealthy or the BDE financially bettered. To rephrase , the BDE one percent in the usa[black elephants/black donkeys/black millionaires/black church leaders/black ceo's of white firms , or similar], absent the usa racial environment would be strung up by the BDE 99%. 

 

 

 

 

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