11/04/24
Today I’m to talk about memorable “images” from Booker Washington’s autobiography. There were a few: The first trip to Hampton and the founding & building of the Tuskgee School in Alabama are the first that come to mind.
The first memorable story that struck me was the trip from Malden, WV, to Hampton, VA. This would have meant that young Booker would have had to cross the Appalachian mountains, during a time when he couldn’t get a hotel because of the color of his skin. Even though he was able to take busses most of the way, Washington had to sleep outside on the cold ground several nights, and his suffering being the only real physical hardship in the book made it more memorable than begging for money for a school (the rest of the book).
The second story was the founding of the Tuskgee School. The only real reason I think this is memorable for me is because it was such a turning point in Washington’s life, and what he started in a shack grew into a very prosperous university. The fact that he not only taught book subjects but that he also taught life skills actually makes sense, as opposed to the rest of the school system today, which is nigh useless in the real world
In conclusion, there weren’t very many memorable moments from Booker Washington’s autobiography that stuck out to me, but there were a few that I will remember his book by.