Books with title Up From Slavery

Booker T. Washington's Up from Slavery is his self-reflection that recaptured his younger years as a slave in rural Virginia, his journey through higher education, and his life as a successful, influential statesman. Though he faced numerous hardships including devastating enslavement and surviving the turbulence and devastation of the Civil War, Washington rose to a position of international power and prominence. He became one of the most influential and well-respected African American intellectuals, thought-leaders, and advocates of the 19th century. He went on to advise President Theodore Roosevelt, to establish and become president of the Tuskegee Institute, and to gain notoriety worldwide as an oratory leader. Up from Slavery is a true inspiration and testament to the grit, courage, and wisdom of a man determined to beat all odds.

Excerpt: Up From Slavery chronicles the life of Booker T. Washington from his days as a child slave during American Civil War to his journey though self-education and towards his growth as a prominent African American leader. This book became a best seller upon its publication in 1905 and impressed Theodore Roosevelt so much that he invited Washington to dine at White House. "I was born a slave on a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia. I am not quite sure of the exact place or exact date of my birth, but at any rate I suspect I must have been born somewhere and at some time. As nearly as I have been able to learn, I was born near a cross-roads post-office called Hale's Ford, and the year was 1858 or 1859. I do not know the month or the day. The earliest impressions I can now recall are of the plantation and the slave quarters—the latter being the part of the plantation where the slaves had their cabins. My life had its beginning in the midst of the most miserable, desolate, and discouraging surroundings." Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and advisor to presidents of the United States. Washington was from the last generation of black American leaders born into slavery and became the leading voice of the former slaves and their descendants. He was also a key proponent of African-American businesses and one of the founders of the National Negro Business League.

Born and raised a slave, Booker T. Washington rose from subjugation to become the voice of post-Reconstruction black America. In his 1901 autobiography, Washington chronicles more than forty years of his life, from his childhood on a Virginia plantation to founding an Alabama school for freedmen and minorities. At the heart of Washington’s teachings were the inspiring qualities he himself possessed in order to climb: self-reliance, hard work, perseverance, and a passion for education. Up from Slavery is critical, insightful reading for understanding the African American experience at the turn of the twentieth century. Revised edition: Previously published as Up from Slavery, this edition of Up from Slavery (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

In the South of the 1890s, Booker T. Washington stood as the often controversial personification of the aspirations of the black masses. The Civil War had ended, casting uneducated blacks adrift or, equally tenuous, creating a class of sharecroppers still dependent on the whims of their former owners. Black Reconstruction, for all its outward trimming, had failed to deliver its promised economic and political empowerment. While an embittered and despairing black population sought solace and redemption, a white citizenry systematically institutionalized racism. From this Armageddon rose a Moses, Booker Taliaferro Washington, who was born in 1856 in Virginia to a slave mother and a white father he never knew. After Emancipation, Washington began to dream of getting an education and resolved to go to the Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute in Virginia. When he arrived, he was allowed to work as the school's janitor in return for his board and part of his tuition. After graduating from Hampton, Washington was selected to head a new school for blacks at Tuskegee, Alabama, where he taught the virtues of "patience, thrift, good manners, and high morals" as the keys to empowerment. An unabashed self-promoter (Tuskegee was dependent upon the largesse of its white benefactors) and advocate of accommodation, Washington's "pick yourself up by your bootstraps" and "be patient and prove yourself first" philosophy was simultaneously acclaimed by the masses and condemned by the black intelligentsia, who demanded a greater and immediate inclusion in the social, political, and economic fabric of this emerging nation.

This volume is the outgrowth of a series of articles, dealing with incidents in my life, which were published consecutively in the Outlook. While they were appearing in that magazine I was constantly surprised at the number of requests which came to me from all parts of the country, asking that the articles be permanently preserved in book form. I am most grateful to the Outlook for permission to gratify these requests. I have tried to tell a simple, straightforward story, with no attempt at embellishment. My regret is that what I have attempted to do has been done so imperfectly. The greater part of my time and strength is required for the executive work connected with the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, and in securing the money necessary for the support of the institution. Much of what I have said has been written on board trains, or at hotels or railroad stations while I have been waiting for trains, or during the moments that I could spare from my work while at Tuskegee. Without the painstaking and generous assistance of Mr. Max Bennett Thrasher I could not have succeeded in any satisfactory degree.

Booker T. Washington, the most recognized national leader, orator and educator, emerged from slavery in the deep south, to work for the betterment of African Americans in the post Reconstruction period. 'Up From Slavery' is an autobiography of Booker T. Washington's life and work, which has been the source of inspiration for all Americans. Washington reveals his inner most thoughts as he transitions from ex-slave to teacher and founder of one of the most important schools for African Americans in the south, The Tuskegee Industrial Institute. Booker T. Washington's words are profound. Washington includes the address he gave at the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition in 1895, which made him a national figure. He imparts 'gems of wisdom' throughout the book, which are relevant to Americans who aspire to achieve great attainments in life. Listeners will appreciate the impassioned delivery of the reader, Andrew L. Barnes. Legacy Audio is proud to present this audio book production of 'Up From Slavery' by Booker T. Washington.