BT Washington Essay Research Paper Chad Mertz — страница 2

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“I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the best one I ever passed,” (57). This statement shows the respect Washington had for both a book and industrial education. To get into Hampton, the institution that gave him his book education, he needed the knowledge of the proper way to clean a room. At Hampton, Washington received a wide variety of knowledge from math to the Bible. He paid for his education by working as a janitor. Every hour he spent was either working or studying. It was at Hampton where he learned to study the Bible. This was taught to him by a Miss Nathalie Lord. Lord also taught him the art of public speaking, which became a large part of his later life. Washington writes, “Whatever ability I may have as a public

speaker I owe in a measure to Miss Lord,” (64) Another person Washington met at Hampton was General Samuel C. Armstrong. Armstrong became Washington’s mentor and indeed the greatest influence on his life. Just reading a few descriptive lines about Armstrong, one can easily see the respective tone. “He worked almost constantly night and day for the cause to which he had given his life. I never saw a man who so completely lost sight of himself. I do not believe he ever had a selfish thought,” (58). In June of 1875, Washington graduated from Hampton on the honour roll. This allowed him to have the distinguished honor of speaking at the Commencement ceremonies. After Hampton, Washington held a waiter position in Connecticut. This lasted only a short time due to the fact that

he wanted use his knowledge to teach others. For this he went home to Malden. There he taught day and night school for two years. Washington felt that he could reach the black community on a much lager level. He would later get this opportunity. In May of 1881, Washington received a letter from General Armstrong stating that two men were looking for someone to start a school in Tuskegee, Alabama. This provided Washington with the forum he needed to teach the full education he felt black students needed. On July 4, 1881, Washington’s school in Tuskegee opened. Admission was open to anyone over fifteen years old with some sort of educational foundation. His educational mission can be summed up in a paragraph excerpt: “We wanted to teach the students how to bathe; how to care

for their teeth and clothing. We wanted to teach them what to eat, and how to eat it properly, and how to care for their rooms. Aside from this, we wanted to give them such a practical knowledge of some one industry, together with the spirit of industry, thrift, and economy, that they would be sure of knowing how to make a living after they had left us. We wanted to teach them to study actual things instead of mere books alone,” (96). This could perhaps be the most important passage in Washington’s entire autobiography. It states not only his standards for education, but also the standards for what he felt every person should live by. Starting the school was rough. Funds were small and teachers were scarce. For this Washington sent a Miss Olivia A. Davidson around the

country. Davidson literally went house to house looking for money. She did this while Washington oversaw the daily operations at the school. Once financially able, Washington took on the project of adding another building to the school. This was done solely by students. Even the bricks used to construct the building were made by students. Many objected to this saying that the children were there to receive an education, not work. Washington argued that this was part of their education. Besides architecture, construction, and brick making, students also learned such industries as landscaping, farming, and laundry. Overtime Tuskegee secured itself as one of the top schools for African-Americans. During his time at Tuskegee, Washington had made somewhat of a name for himself, which

allowed him to speak publicly about his views from time to time. Public speaking was somewhat of a hobby for Washington until the National Education Association asked him to speak at their national convention in Madison, Wisconsin. He unexpectedly praised the South and talked of the importance of the Negro being involved in the community. Many important people throughout the country heard the speech, which opened doors for other speaking opportunities. Washington talked to many groups on many different subjects, but the speech he is truly remembered for took place at the opening of the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition. The audience was filled with influential people throughout the country. Washington knew that if he got his message across, he might be able to