Booker T. Washington's Lack Of Education

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When reading slave narratives one can see that education was most often looked at as a forbidden fruit. Only some dare to go against the system of chattel slavery and learn to read, most slaves thought they would never receive an educated. Education was used as power; since blacks were uneducated it allowed whites to claim superiority over them. The lack of education, and the color of their skin kept slaves in an inferior position. After the civil war these newly free people were now able to gain an education, without any consequence. Education among colored people seemed to be of high importance, but it was not easily accessible, teachers knew very little things, and working became more important than education. Between Booker T. Washington, …show more content…

Education was often put off, because they need to work, or they could not afford the cost of attendance. Education became a privilege; some of the smart colored people were not able to obtain an education because they had to work and support their family. Many tried to balance the two by going to work in the morning or the daytime, and going to school after. Many fell short, it was too much to balance and they would just end up neglecting school just as Booker T. Washington did. There were schools put in place that could help the non-privilege “poor but worthy students could work out all or part of the cost of board at the same time be taught some trade or industry”. These institutions helped many people, often too many people that the dorms became overcrowded. Student would have to sleep outside in tents during the winter, and did not complain. This shows how dedicated they were to getting an …show more content…

Washington was able to attend Hampton Institute, which allowed him to work as a janitor to pay for his attendance. By receiving an education from the institution he was able to teach other colored people, and become this great leader among the black community. He felt, as colored people should only attend trade or industrial schools, and that is the type of school he opened in Tuskegee. Booker T. Washington was criticized by many pertaining to his views on education among his fellow colored people. W.E.B Du Bios was one of those critics; in his novel souls of black folks he talks about how Booker T. Washington was being submissive to the white people. Du Bios felt as Washington “surrender their civil and political rights”; Mr. Washington was okay with accepting an inferior position in order to gain economic status in the long run. Although Du Bios felt that Mr. Washington was submissive, Du Bios also called his program unique. Although Washington does want the colored people to advance, the things he asked of colored people contradict his motives. Du Bios challenges the things that Mr. Washington asked of them, which were to give up political power, insistence on civil rights, and higher education of the youth. Du Bios says that with this being asked of the colored people would lead to the disfranchisement of the Negro, a legal creation of a distinct status of civil inferiority for the Negro, and a steady withdraw of aid from institution for higher education of

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