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misslisa11's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
In this autobiography, Washington details his endeavors towards the enrichment of Black Americans in the post-Reconstruction era.
I have a lot to say about this one so buckle up. To be quite honest I wasn’t sure how to rate this book; it’s hard to reconcile the things Washington did for the advancement of Black Americans freed from slavery against the things he says in this book. I found this autobiography to be very perplexing. At times Washington expresses almost understanding and gratitude towards his enslavers. He expresses no resentment towards white people and states that all, regardless of race, suffer from slavery. His narrative is very anti-victimization and pro-individual responsibility, and while there are some merits to that philosophy, all slaves were victims and Washington’s attitudes seems to come across as “let bygones be bygones.” The discussion of Tuskegee was also a bit mind boggling. The Tuskegee Institute, born of post-Civil War segregation, has done amazing things for many Black Americans, but instead of fully analyzing how education was able to help advance formerly enslaved individuals, Washington spends most of his time name dropping and praising the many white donors that helped fund the school. I also would have been more interested to learn about Washington’s personhood; his adolescence was very briefly discussed and his voice seemed quite detached throughout the book. The autobiography came across more as a report on facts and events and I would have liked more personal anecdotes. And there was a part where he talks about the KKK, stating, “Today there are no such organizations in the South, and the fact that such ever existed is almost forgotten by both races.” Excuse me, what?! I’m not sure if Washington wrote this way to pander to white people who funded his school, but even if that’s the case, glossing over the real impacts of slavery and the damage that the KKK and similar groups inflicted (and continue to inflict) was just too much for me.
msmithr's review against another edition
5.0
5/5 Listened via Scribd. Booker T. Washington’s autobiography. Excellent! He dedicated his life to the education of African Americans. He believed in working hard and becoming so good in your craft/field that it doesn’t matter what color your skin is. Inspiring man!
jroberts1995's review against another edition
5.0
You would struggle to find a more remarkable story of self-improvement than the one written of in Booker T. Washington's Up from Slavery.
bdubbinli's review against another edition
2.0
Boring. He basically thought that if black people proved themselves to be competent maybe they would be treated fairly. wrong. But I understand why he would think that way. It was so boring and dry though. It was like reading a business manual. He didn’t really describe his feelings or thoughts about his life as an enslaved person, the whole books was mostly about fundraising for Tuskegee.
subnetzero's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
akmorgan's review against another edition
4.0
Great autobiography of a incredible man. Even if you disagree with some of his politics, you gotta admire his unquenchable hope. I appreciated the introduction and afterword that gave context to Washington's more controversial statements.