A Boys' Life of Booker T. Washington/Chapter 12
CHAPTER XII
LEADING HIS PEOPLE
Immediately following Washington's great speech in Atlanta in 1895, there came the statement from all parts of the country, "Here is the new leader of the negro race." During the last years of slavery, and the Civil War, and on for years after the war, Frederick Douglass, as has been said, was the acknowledged leader of the negro in the United States. Douglass had died in the early part of the year 1895. It seemed that this man Washington had been raised up to take his place. The Atlanta speech continued to be a topic of discussion throughout the country, and coupled with this discussion was invariably the statement that here was the new leader of the race.
Washington says that he was at a great loss to know what people meant when they referred to him as the leader of his people. Of course, this leadership was not a thing that he had sought. The people thrust this duty upon him, and of course no man has a right to shun or dodge responsibility that is thus bestowed.
He was not in doubt long as to what it meant to be a leader. One of the first things that happened was the large number of invitations that came to him to deliver addresses. These requests came from all parts of the country and from all sorts of organizations. A very large number of these invitations he was compelled to refuse. However, when he felt he could serve his institution and his people, he always accepted. He represented the Negro at the unveiling of the monument of R. G. Shaw, in Boston; and at the Peace Convention in Chicago in 1898, at which time President McKinley spoke. He attended most of the large religious gatherings of his people throughout the country, and spoke before them. Almost immediately there began to pour in on him a perfect flood of letters from all parts of the country, from white and black, high and low, rich and poor, asking a thousand different questions. Now it would be a letter from a railroad president asking about some problem of dealing with his employees; now from a school man asking about the segregation of the races in schools. Again, from a legislator, asking advice on some legislation; but principally the letters came from his own people, asking all sorts of questions about a multitude of things. One man wanted Washington to use his influence to secure the adoption of a flag for the negro race; another wanted his backing for a patent medicine that would take the curl out of the negro's hair. Another wanted to know if the negro race was dying out; another, if the race was being blended with the white race; another, if he thought the negro was being treated right politically. Perhaps the most remarkable request, however, was from a woman, who wanted him to find her husband who had deserted her some years before. And in order that he might be easily identified she describes him: "This is the hith of him 5–6 light eyes dark hair unwave shave and a Suprano Voice his age 58 his name Steve."[1]
To all of these letters he replied in the fullest and frankest and kindest way.
Whenever there was race friction in the South, he was invariably called upon either to go in person or to send a message. For example, when the Atlanta riots occurred in 1906, Washington was in the North. He took the first train South. He went among his own people in Atlanta first, and then he went to the white people—to the Governor, the Mayor, the leading citizens, ministers and merchants. Largely through his wise counsel and efforts order was restored, and plans were made for the future.
As a spokesman for his people he wrote constantly for the press. Such papers as the Montgomery Advertiser, the Atlanta Constitution, the New Orleans Picayune, the Louisville Courier Journal, the Chicago Inter-Ocean, and the Boston and New York papers gladly published his articles. He also contributed frequent articles to the weekly journals, such as The Outlook, and to the monthly magazines, such as The Century Magazine.
He carried this phase of his leadership even further than the current press, in that he made some notable contributions to the historical literature of his race. The first book he wrote was "Up from Slavery." This is one of the greatest pieces of literature published in America. The Hon. Walter H. Page, late Ambassador to Great Britain, said: "The only books that I have read a second time or ever cared to read in the whole list (of literature relating to the negro) are 'Uncle Remus,' and 'Up from Slavery,' for these are the great literature of the subject."[2]
Believing the accomplishments of the race should be better known to his own people, Washington determined to write a history of the Negro. "The Story of the Negro—the Rise of the Race from Slavery" was the title of the book he wrote, setting forth the wonderful progress of his people.
Other books by him were, "My Larger Education," "Learning with the Hands,"—about eleven titles in all. These books are of high literary merit, and in no other way, perhaps, did Washington so definitely place himself as a leader of his people as in the realm of authorship. These books, in addition to their literary value, were of great benefit to the white race as well as to his own race, in getting before all the people a proper estimate of the real accomplishments of the negro.
One of the most important phases of his leadership of the negro was in the organization of the National Negro Business League. It was one of Washington's strongest beliefs that the negro must prove himself able to exist and prosper in business matters. The race—individually and collectively—must demonstrate its ability to take care of itself in all phases of industrial life. Another of his important principles was that the negro should emphasize his opportunities rather than his drawbacks. As he went about the country, he noted the wonderful progress made by the negro in all lines of business. He felt that it would be a great inspiration to those who had achieved success or leadership to know each other, and a still greater encouragement to all the people if they knew the real progress being made. Acting upon these ideas, he called a meeting of representatives of a large number of businesses to be held in Boston, in August, 1900. Here was organized the National Negro Business League. Washington was made president and continued to hold this office until his death in 1915.
The organization brought together from year to year all the representative negro business men of the country. They made reports of their progress and planned for future advancement. The league has been a wonderful factor in the development of the business life of the negro. Several other organizations, such as the Negro Press Association, the Negro Bar Association, the Negro Funeral Directors' Association, and others have grown out of this league. It was through this league, as perhaps through no other agency, that the negro learned of his own great wealth, of his success in banking, in manufacturing, in merchandise, in the undertaking business, and in a large number of other industries. It gave him a wonderful pride in the accomplishments of his race. He knew that the negro was proving to the world that he possessed all the elements necessary for handling any phase of his economic life. He could take care of himself in the business world.
Washington did a great deal for the negro farmer. It has already been pointed out how he served the people of his county, and how the extension work of the Institute was used to help the farmer. In addition to this he organized the Tuskegee Negro Conference. In the beginning, this was a sort of agricultural experience meeting on a large scale. The good farmers from all the surrounding country were brought in, and each was asked to relate his successful experience. Every phase of farm life was covered. Every person present was profited by the experience and the success of his neighbor. This conference has greatly broadened in scope and has grown to be of large proportions and great influence.
Washington was truly the Moses of his people, as Andrew Carnegie had said. He led them with great wisdom in their thought and their conduct. He was their spokesman, their interpreter. He guided them to higher and better things. He made the white man and the negro know each other better and understand each other better. He lessened the friction between the races and increased the good will. He brought encouragement and inspiration to his own race and gained the sympathy and coöperation of the white race. Everywhere he opposed ignorance and prejudice and injustice in any form. Because of his wisdom and tact as a leader, not only the negro but the entire nation was helped.