The docile Washington

Gustavo Quintero
English 48B
February 8, 2008
Journal #19


Quote:
As a rule, not only did the members of my race entertain no feelings of bitterness against the whites before and during the war, but there are many instances of Negroes tenderly caring for their former masters..."(Washington 670).



Summary:
Washington is describing how the slaves acted during and after the civil war.


Response:
After my previous two blog entries bashing Booker T. Washington I came to a big realization about Washington. I came to the conclusion that the reason he preached the submissive philosophy is because of how he grew up. Washington grew up into slavery while Du Bois grew up in a middle class family. Obviously Du Bois had a lot more opportunities than did Washington. I believe this is what helped shaped the two mne we read about this week. I think that the reason Washington was so submissive is because this is the natural attitude of the slave. A slave really has no options as to what living condition he is put into. The slave has almost no control over what he or she does or says. So what better way to improve your situation than by accepting who you are and trying to make yourself stronger. Washington was a firm believer in self-teaching and the agriculture business. Slaves were the people that tended and harvested the crops for the white people. There was no better way for the slave to improve himself/herself than focusing on what they did best. Now I do not completely agree with this but I can definitely see where Washington's point of view came from. On the other hand it was much easier for Du Bois to be the outspoken when you come from an economically better background. I think that when it came down to it and I was a slave during the civil war era I would have chosen Washington's philosophy because it was more low key and not as intrusive as what Du Bois preached.