Scan barcode
writermattphillips's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite books ever written. Incredible slave narrative––well, post-slavery narrative actually.
moberle's review
4.25
It's really compelling to hear Washington talk about his values and how they intersected with the formation of the Tuskegee school. It's an incredibly well written, easy to understand historical text that offers insight into one of the most influential African Americans in history and his philosophy of life.
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
1.0
I read Booker T. Washington’s “Up from Slavery” for two reasons: (1) I teach about him in my Georgia Studies class and (2) I’m visiting Tuskegee this summer.
I realize that I’m a 21st century white guy and that it’s odd for me to critique such a massive figure of black history . . . But it’s just so hard to understand where Washington is coming from.
This book claims to be an autobiography but is really about the Tuskegee Institute (I read somewhere that this book was used to solicit donations). With that in mind, one can imagine how his audience shaped his writing.
Washington, a former slave, does nothing but praise former slave masters and ex-Confederates. He argues that blacks are better off because of slavery.
”[W]e must acknowledge that, notwithstanding the cruelty and moral wrong of slavery, the ten million Negroes inhabiting this country, who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of American slavery, are in a stronger and more hopeful condition, materially, intellectually, morally, and religiously, than is true of an equal number of black people in any other portion of the globe.”
Washington recounts his own emancipation and argues that he and his fellow slaves felt pity for their former masters! He seems totally blind to the complexities of slavery and the long-term effects of slavery.
He also takes every shot he can against both Africans and African Americans (so . . . a lot of internalized racism? Self-hate?). He states that Africans dwell in the “darkest heathenism.” He calls blacks in America things like “ignorant,” “immoral,” and “uncivilized.” He seems to be angry when children show up at his institution FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER THE END OF SLAVERY and they don’t know how to “properly” place the silverware at a dinner table. He puts a LOT of emphasis on teaching black children what is “right,” “proper,” and “civilized” (i.e., what the wealthy whites do).
I wanted to give Washington a chance because I do think he intended well . . . but he seems to have come up short in almost every opportunity.
Now go read some DuBois!
I realize that I’m a 21st century white guy and that it’s odd for me to critique such a massive figure of black history . . . But it’s just so hard to understand where Washington is coming from.
This book claims to be an autobiography but is really about the Tuskegee Institute (I read somewhere that this book was used to solicit donations). With that in mind, one can imagine how his audience shaped his writing.
Washington, a former slave, does nothing but praise former slave masters and ex-Confederates. He argues that blacks are better off because of slavery.
”[W]e must acknowledge that, notwithstanding the cruelty and moral wrong of slavery, the ten million Negroes inhabiting this country, who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of American slavery, are in a stronger and more hopeful condition, materially, intellectually, morally, and religiously, than is true of an equal number of black people in any other portion of the globe.”
Washington recounts his own emancipation and argues that he and his fellow slaves felt pity for their former masters! He seems totally blind to the complexities of slavery and the long-term effects of slavery.
He also takes every shot he can against both Africans and African Americans (so . . . a lot of internalized racism? Self-hate?). He states that Africans dwell in the “darkest heathenism.” He calls blacks in America things like “ignorant,” “immoral,” and “uncivilized.” He seems to be angry when children show up at his institution FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER THE END OF SLAVERY and they don’t know how to “properly” place the silverware at a dinner table. He puts a LOT of emphasis on teaching black children what is “right,” “proper,” and “civilized” (i.e., what the wealthy whites do).
I wanted to give Washington a chance because I do think he intended well . . . but he seems to have come up short in almost every opportunity.
Now go read some DuBois!
jmtaylor1981's review against another edition
2.0
I grew up and still live less than 20 miles from the Booker T. Washington National Monument and remember going there once for an elementary school trip. I’ve always wanted to go back as an adult because I think the idea of slavery and what that really means can be a bit too heavy for 6 & 8-year-olds to fully comprehend. And going to places like Mount Vernon or Monticello doesn’t quite give you the same feelings as a place like the Booker T. Washington National Monument. All that being said, I decided to pick up his autobiography to give it a read because I have always found Washington interesting. After reading his story, I find that I have less understanding than when I began.
This was no literary masterpiece. It was a very humdrum and simple read.
I feel like I am more appalled and angry with my white ancestors for slavery than Washington was as a former slave. Also, it is as though Washington was writing about a different reconstruction era than anything I have ever read before. It’s like he was trying to whitewash our horrendous past.
Washington’s achievements are something to be celebrated, being born a slave and rising above to become an educator and leader of the Tuskegee Institute; it is a story that needs to be told. But, it seems as though this book was used more to advertise the school instead of being a narrative of his life and accomplishments. It felt to me that Washington spent a little too much time excusing the white race for their racism and less time telling the reader about what drove him. Maybe this is a lesson in Grace or maybe it was a necessary strategy? I’m not quite sure.
This was no literary masterpiece. It was a very humdrum and simple read.
I feel like I am more appalled and angry with my white ancestors for slavery than Washington was as a former slave. Also, it is as though Washington was writing about a different reconstruction era than anything I have ever read before. It’s like he was trying to whitewash our horrendous past.
Washington’s achievements are something to be celebrated, being born a slave and rising above to become an educator and leader of the Tuskegee Institute; it is a story that needs to be told. But, it seems as though this book was used more to advertise the school instead of being a narrative of his life and accomplishments. It felt to me that Washington spent a little too much time excusing the white race for their racism and less time telling the reader about what drove him. Maybe this is a lesson in Grace or maybe it was a necessary strategy? I’m not quite sure.
lexhop's review against another edition
Booker T Washington is the father of respectability politics. I find his autobiography the manual of respectability politics and it’s just infuriating to read literally couldn’t do it
juliabeaumont's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
“But no White American ever thinks that any other race is wholly civilised until he wears the white man’s clothes, eat the white man’s food, speaks the white man’s language and professes the white man’s religion”.
- Up from slavery by Booker T. Washington
.
.
The book follow the narrative of Mr Booker T. Washington in retelling his childhood until he become one of the prominent civil rights activists. Born of a White Father and a slave mother, he grew up recognising the impact of slavery. The oppression and the status of being one’s property - that even though his mother and him were being released once Lincoln won the civil war and declared that slavery has been abolished, he acutely observed that freedom is not meant for everybody. He saw some former slaves past certain ages made deal with their former masters to keep on living with them. He then adopted Washington as his last name as given the status as a Slave’s child, he doesn’t have it initially and eventually added T. as it was originally what his mother wanted to name him. He saw the value of education and knew that it is the way to upgrade himself and at the same time, to pursue a brighter future. He took various jobs from cleaner to the helper and eventually got enough money to let him travel to Hampton. He almost starved himself to death as he has no money , no one that he knew around when he reached there and not even living place but his hard work paid off when he got accepted into the institution. He then was introduced to a great man name General Armstrong whom he felt a greatest man he ever met. General Armstrong instilled in him that education is a way to lift up his races - that in any way, everyone who is willing to learn should be given chance for it because that’s exactly how he managed to graduate from Hampton. He then worked at few places before finding himself back in Hampton when
General Armstrong asked him to come back to teach the batch of Natives American. He was reluctant at first but decided to go for it and he did jot down few differences while making some observations in teaching them. Fate has other path handed to Mr Booker when his name was being put to teach the black community in Tuskegee. He went for it but was surprised that the facilities is not up to par and few objections came from some white and black people. One was afraid no one will pickup farm job, the one does not see the value of going to school. Tuskegee proved to be a challenging job but he got many help to make it work. Throughout the book, Booker did what he could in championing the education to his community. He also felt that knowledge should not be only classified as one that we can get from the book , it should be from an experience and the life itself. This is why some of his students were perplexed when they sometimes were asked to do heavy work like farming or brick building. HOWEVER, i can see that why some people dislike this book despite what he has done and contribute so much specifically at the time that where black people rarely succeeds. The book has an excessive optimism tone it especially downplaying the aftermath of Civil War. Mr Booker also the firm believer that if you work hard, you can do it too in a way he overlooked the systemic racism and the large boulder that usually being placed to hijack the BIPOCs from advancing further. He even stated that Ku Klux Klan is already gone in the South which is most of people knew that it is not quite true. Would i recommend this to other readers? I would. i still feel this is important read. It is a story of perseverance and persistence. You might not agree with all the ideas and opinions by Mr Booker T. and You does not have to, but you can understand where he’s coming from. Ultimately, i still find this book inspiring because there is no way i will be able to not harbor any resentment towards the race that subjugate, enslaved and oppressed my people.
- Up from slavery by Booker T. Washington
.
.
The book follow the narrative of Mr Booker T. Washington in retelling his childhood until he become one of the prominent civil rights activists. Born of a White Father and a slave mother, he grew up recognising the impact of slavery. The oppression and the status of being one’s property - that even though his mother and him were being released once Lincoln won the civil war and declared that slavery has been abolished, he acutely observed that freedom is not meant for everybody. He saw some former slaves past certain ages made deal with their former masters to keep on living with them. He then adopted Washington as his last name as given the status as a Slave’s child, he doesn’t have it initially and eventually added T. as it was originally what his mother wanted to name him. He saw the value of education and knew that it is the way to upgrade himself and at the same time, to pursue a brighter future. He took various jobs from cleaner to the helper and eventually got enough money to let him travel to Hampton. He almost starved himself to death as he has no money , no one that he knew around when he reached there and not even living place but his hard work paid off when he got accepted into the institution. He then was introduced to a great man name General Armstrong whom he felt a greatest man he ever met. General Armstrong instilled in him that education is a way to lift up his races - that in any way, everyone who is willing to learn should be given chance for it because that’s exactly how he managed to graduate from Hampton. He then worked at few places before finding himself back in Hampton when
General Armstrong asked him to come back to teach the batch of Natives American. He was reluctant at first but decided to go for it and he did jot down few differences while making some observations in teaching them. Fate has other path handed to Mr Booker when his name was being put to teach the black community in Tuskegee. He went for it but was surprised that the facilities is not up to par and few objections came from some white and black people. One was afraid no one will pickup farm job, the one does not see the value of going to school. Tuskegee proved to be a challenging job but he got many help to make it work. Throughout the book, Booker did what he could in championing the education to his community. He also felt that knowledge should not be only classified as one that we can get from the book , it should be from an experience and the life itself. This is why some of his students were perplexed when they sometimes were asked to do heavy work like farming or brick building. HOWEVER, i can see that why some people dislike this book despite what he has done and contribute so much specifically at the time that where black people rarely succeeds. The book has an excessive optimism tone it especially downplaying the aftermath of Civil War. Mr Booker also the firm believer that if you work hard, you can do it too in a way he overlooked the systemic racism and the large boulder that usually being placed to hijack the BIPOCs from advancing further. He even stated that Ku Klux Klan is already gone in the South which is most of people knew that it is not quite true. Would i recommend this to other readers? I would. i still feel this is important read. It is a story of perseverance and persistence. You might not agree with all the ideas and opinions by Mr Booker T. and You does not have to, but you can understand where he’s coming from. Ultimately, i still find this book inspiring because there is no way i will be able to not harbor any resentment towards the race that subjugate, enslaved and oppressed my people.