2.5
Up from Slavery
ByPublisher Description
First released as a serialized work through a Christian newspaper in 1900, Up from Slavery is the autobiography of the respected late 19th century African-American leader Booker T. Washington. The book describes his experiences as a child born into slavery on a Virginia farm, his struggle to obtain an education at the Hampton Institute, to his rise to prominence in American politics and the African-American community as a political leader and founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In non-confrontational terms, Washington calls for black self-reliance as a means to advance in American society. His educational philosophy as outlined in the book stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesUp from Slavery Reviews
2.5
“I wanted to like this. But I think my reasons for not liking it can be summed up in one quote. In describing the lessons he learned in school he says, "The [two bedsheets] were quite a puzzle to me. The first night I slept under both of them, and the second night I slept on top of both of them; but by watching the other boys I learned my lesson in this, and have been trying to follow it ever since and to teach it to others."
If that sounds like an odd way of saying that he learned to sleep between the fitted sheet and top sheet, it is. For one thing, it's the sort of thing that once learned, one does not need to endeavor to follow it. If it sounds oddly earnest, it is.
Why I cut the rating down: it is very obvious that Washington is trying to say what he thinks whites want him to say in order to get funding for his school. I'm just not a fan of that.
Why I still give it 3 stars not less: he does an excellent job at say the things that he needs to to get funding for the school he's trying to build. It just isn't my kind of book.”
About Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was born into slavery and overcame racism and oppression to become one of the most respected and influential African-American leaders of the late nineteenth century. He founded the Alabama Tuskegee Institute in 1881 and advocated the advancement of African Americans through education and entrepreneurship. An adviser to Presidents Roosevelt and Taft, Washington displayed an apparent acceptance of segregation and clashed with other black leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois who took a more militant approach to social change.
Other books by Booker T. Washington
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