Up from Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of American educator Booker T. Washington (1856-1915). The book describes his experience of working to rise up from being enslaved as a child during the Civil War, the obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton Institute, and his work establishing vocational schools like the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to help Black people and other persecuted people of color learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects ...
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Up from Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of American educator Booker T. Washington (1856-1915). The book describes his experience of working to rise up from being enslaved as a child during the Civil War, the obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton Institute, and his work establishing vocational schools like the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to help Black people and other persecuted people of color learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of teachers and philanthropists who helped educate Black and Native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and dignity into students. His educational philosophy stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade (reminiscent of John Ruskin). Washington explained that the integration of practical subjects is partly designed to "reassure the White community of the usefulness of educating Black people".
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Booker T. Washington was a Christian man. This book can only truly be understood by a fellow Christian. If you are not a Christian you will come up with all sorts of ideas about this book that are wrong, such as it was written for the white reader, or that he was playing a part just to get money for his fellow blacks. Fact is, Jesus Christ changes men. He makes them better, more like Himself. This writers life was changed by Jesus Christ the same way I was, so it resonates well and I know it's true in the best sense. A great book by a great man!
