Up from Slavery (Dover Thrift Editions: Black History)

Up From Slavery is a book by the prominent African-American leader Booker T. Washington. This book was so important that I had to include a discussion of it in my book: The Real Wakandas of Africa. He was a very important part of the Black community in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Up From Slavery is a must read for all who feel that people have the ability to succeed despite their circumstances. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery, yet he rose to become one of the leading Black figures of his day. Yearning to read at an early age, he took a journey by himself to go to school. Facing segregated facilities and without money, he had to work to pay for his travel (hundreds of miles away) to the school. Upon arriving at school he worked at the school to pay his way through school. Eventually, he established Tuskegee University and his students built many of the buildings there. Booker T. Washington is often looked down upon because he did not advocate publicly for voting rights. However, there is some evidence that he was funneling money to support voting rights campaigns. Marcus Garvey looked up to Booker T. Washington because he focused upon industry and upon controlling businesses in the black community. Up From Slavery is an important read along with other books like that of WEB Du Bois. In many ways his book serves as the foundation for the importance of black owned businesses. Despite its shortcomings, you will enjoy this book and the development of Booker T. Washington as he often presents himself as having the perfect solution for any given situation. If there was a shortcoming to Booker T. Washington, it was that he did not publicly advocate for political rights for Black people. Like Booker T. Washington‘s book, I also discuss the importance of economic development of black businesses in the African-American community in my book The Real Wakandas of Africa. However, unlike Washington I also discuss the rich history of Africa before slavery and before colonialism. Prior to slavery Africans performed surgery on the eye to remove cataracts 700 years ago. In Central Africa they conducted cesarean sections with antiseptics several hundred years before they were done anywhere else in the world. They smelted carbon steel 2000 years before the present and Africans built the tallest building in the world. This building stood as the tallest building for more than 4000 years. To add to this, Africans also constructed a wall for which I wrote a book called: The Great Wall of Africa: The Empire of Benin’s 10,000 Mile Long Wall. This wall would almost wrap around the United States of America. It is stories like these that are often missing from African-American history. Nevertheless, the book Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington is a classic and a must read. It will keep you captivated with the life of Booker T. Washington as he struggled as a child to learn to read, pursued advanced degrees, and became a prominent Black leader in American society. Pick up a copy today!

The autobiography of a remarkable man who spent his first six years in slavery. Through his own story, he recounts the immense challenges faced by black Americans in the early years after emancipation. He also describes his impressive struggle to obtain an education, his call to Tuskegee, Alabama to assume the Directorship of the fledgling Tuskegee Institute, and his efforts to negotiate life in the Jim Crow years. It struck me that, more than an autobiography, this book is an apologetic written by one of the leading black voices at the time. It’s at once an effort to convince white readers of the value of black Americans to the national life, and a call to black readers to work hard and prove their worth in order to silence the prejudiced. In some circles, he is dismissed as too passive, however, I was awed by his tenacity, integrity and tireless efforts on behalf of his people as they sought inclusion in the American experiment. Rather than a passive individual, I encountered a man who overcame overwhelming obstacles to fulfill a vision that impacted thousands of lives. A true American hero.

To understand anything about race relations in America this is a fundamental primer. Straight from the heart of a black man born in slavery who achieved fame by mastery of his educational craft, the story is mesmerizing and solidly instructive.

This book is a small but amazing peak into Booker T Washington's life. He is truly a man to be emulated and his writing should be essential reading for children when studying reconstruction after the Civil War.

Reading this book, you start to realize why southern whites liked him because he compromised too much to appease them. This isn't entirely bad as it shows where he went wrong after cross referencing between what Du Bois said and he said at those times. Du Bois's criticisms ultimately turn out to be true when looking at the events succeeding the application of Washington's ideas. Not entirely devoid of good reading material. I would just make sure to read from other African American authors afterwards to get a better picture of the ideas these speak of.

Booker T. Washington was the first black man to teach men empowerment over entitlement, it is a travesty that the black community cast him aside as an Uncle Tom. How different the world would be today had he been embraced instead of cast aside! Amazing quotes taken from this book! * Any man regardless of colour, will be recognized and rewarded in the proportion as he learns something well - learns to do it better than some one else. I believe my race will succeed in proportion as it learns to do common things in uncommon manner; learns to do a thing so thoroughly that no one can improve upon what has been done; learns to make its service of indispensable value. * We shall constitute one third of the ignorance and crime of the South, or one third its intelligence and progress; we shall contribute one third to business and industrial prosperity of the South, or we shall prove a veritable body of death, stagnating, depressing, retarding every effort to advance. * The future of the Negro rests largely upon the question as to whether or not he should make himself, through his skill, intelligence, and character, of such undeniable value to the community in which he lived that the community could not dispense with his presence. * Those who are guilty of condemning the rich because they are rich do not know how many people would be made poor, if wealthy people were to part all at once with a large proportion of their wealth in a way to disorganize and cripple great business enterprises. * One thing that I have always insisted upon at Tuskegee is that every where there should be absolute cleanliness, that people would excuse us for our poverty, but that they would not excuse us for dirt. * There is something in human nature which always makes an individual recognize and reward merit, no matter under what colour of skin merit is found. * The part that the Yankee teachers played in the education of the Negroes immediately after the war will make one of the most thrilling parts of the history of this country.

Considering the current times we are in (2025), I found Booker T. Washington’s words, work ethic, strength, drive and outlook refreshing as it saddens me to reflect on how many things are the same 125years later…

I grew up in Virginia. We learned a lot about the early colonists, the revolutionary war, and the civil war, but I never learned about Booker T. Washington. I'm glad I stumbled upon this book by accident a few weeks ago. It was eye-opening to say the least. To be able to read something written by a former slave is incredible. So much of history is written by observers after the fact. This book is written by a participant. Booker T. Washington writes with incredible clarity. It's easy to read his narrative, which moves quickly and covers many years and many historic moments from slavery and reconstruction, to the foundation for the civil rights movement. This book is chalked full of incredible quotes and ideas. Booker provides ample fuel for anyone who needs some gas in their tank to be optimistic, hard-working, or altruistic. Top off your reserves with this book and get a look at some critical moments of American history, told from a perspective that is unique and credible.