BEGINNING LIFE IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD
General Armstrong handed Washington his diploma in June, 1875, and he
walked forth from the college walls a very proud and happy boy. He had a
right to be. No boy had ever striven harder for an education. For three
years, day and night, he had worked, as few people ever had. But he had
enjoyed it. Don’t get the idea that Washington was discouraged or that
he was unhappy, for he was not. He got an immense amount of genuine
satisfaction and pleasure out of his school days. His teachers were good
to him, and he was devoted to them. His classmates were always kind to
him and helpful and thoughtful. Everybody was his friend. No boy ever
left Hampton with more warm friends, was more beloved by students and
faculty, than Booker Washington. And these friendships were truly worth
winning, because they were greater and better than anything else in the
world.
One of the fine things about Washington was his independence. He knew
how to take care of himself. He knew he could make his own way in the
world. He was unusually robust, because he had always taken good care of
himself. With health, with an education, and with an overwhelming desire
to help his people, he left Hampton and started his life in the outside
world.
Washington left Hampton in exactly the same financial condition as when
he entered. He had a diploma in his pocket but no money. However, he was
not ashamed of work, if it was honorable, and he was not afraid of any
amount of it. Along with some other Hampton boys, he was offered a job
in a summer hotel in Connecticut.
When he began his new work, he had an embarrassing experience. The head
waiter, somehow, got the idea that he had done this kind of work before.
He sent him to serve at a table where several rich people were seated.
Washington was very awkward and confused, and the people scolded him
soundly. It frightened him so that he went away and would not return to
the table, leaving the guests without anything to eat.
For this offense, the head waiter reduced him from his position as
waiter and put him to washing dishes. Thereupon, he made up his mind
that he would learn to do this job well. So successful was he that the
head waiter soon put him back at serving, and he made one of the best
waiters in the hotel.
When his summer’s work was done, Washington returned to his old home at
Malden. Soon after his arrival, he was chosen to teach the school there.
He accepted the place and began the work at once. He taught this school
for two years, and it is doubtful if he ever did better work in his life
than during these two years.
All his life the idea had been in Washington’s mind that he must help
his people. This was what he wanted most to do. This was why he wanted
an education. Many people want an education for selfish reasons, such
as, to make money for themselves, to have an easy time or to get honors
for themselves, but this was never true of Booker Washington. His great
desire was to help his people. He looked about him and saw how poor and
helpless and ignorant they were, and his heart was touched. He wanted to
do something that would make his people better and happier.
Now he had his first chance. He went at his work with great joy. He
opened his school at eight o’clock in the morning, and he usually quit
work about ten o’clock at night. He taught the children reading,
writing, geography and arithmetic, but he taught them something else
too. He made them comb their hair. He made them keep their hands and
faces clean. He taught them to keep their clothing clean. He taught them
to use a toothbrush, and to know the value of a bath.
He organized a debating society for the men and boys. He opened a night
school so that those who worked and could not go to school during the
day could go at night. He established a reading room. He taught several
boys privately in order to get them ready to enter Hampton. He taught in
two Sunday schools. In fact, he did more to make his community a good,
clean, happy community than anybody had ever done before.
One of the good things he did was to help his brother John who had
helped him so much while he was at Hampton and now wanted to go to
school himself. What a joy it was to Booker to be able to do something
for this kind and generous brother! John did go to Hampton, as did
another brother, James, who was an adopted child; and both helped
Washington loyally in later years at Tuskegee.
After teaching two years at Malden, Washington decided to go to school
again. This time he went to Washington, D. C., and entered Wayland
Seminary, where he remained eight months. He did not care so much for
his work here. It was very different from the work at Hampton. The
students were all well dressed. They did not have to work as they did at
Hampton. They had plenty of money, and their studies were different.
They did not have trades, industries, agricultural work, or dairying, or
anything of that kind. They had Latin and Greek and literature and
higher mathematics and other studies of a similar kind. Washington felt
that he did not get the benefit that he did at Hampton.
Nor did he like Washington any better than he liked this school. He saw
too much extravagance to suit him. Too many people were trying to get
something for nothing. Too many of them were trying to get jobs with the
Federal Government that would be easy work and high pay. Many of the
negroes seemed to think it was the business of the Federal Government to
support them. Washington did not think this was right. He thought all
men should do good, honest work, and that, if they didn’t, they would
sooner or later find trouble. He was glad to get away, for he felt that
the life that most of the negroes lived at that time in Washington was
most unsatisfactory.
At the end of the eight months, he returned to Malden again. At this
time there was a big campaign on in West Virginia to remove the capital,
which was located at Wheeling. It was far up in the northern part of the
state. Many of the people wanted another city to be chosen. The
legislature selected three cities to be voted upon by the people and
Charleston was one of these. Malden, you remember, was five miles from
Charleston. Just after he returned from Washington, Booker was greatly
pleased to receive an invitation from a committee of white men to come
to Charleston and then go on a speaking tour in behalf of that city. He
accepted the invitation, and for three months he went about the state
speaking for Charleston as the capital. When the election was held,
Charleston won; and no small part of the credit was due to the brilliant
speeches made by the young negro teacher of Malden.
He made such a reputation as a speaker in this campaign that everybody
took it for granted that he would now study law and enter politics. A
well-known judge tried to persuade him to do this and offered to teach
him law. This was very flattering, and for a while Washington considered
it. But all the time he had the feeling that there was something else he
must do. He felt that he could succeed in law and politics, but he also
felt that it would be selfish; that he would be doing something largely
to benefit himself only.
Most of the negro men in politics, at that time, were vicious and
ignorant. Of course there were many exceptions; but, as a general thing,
the negro who was in politics during that period was uneducated and
often dishonest. Washington tells of passing a crowd of men one day as
they were at work on a building. He heard the men saying to one of the
others, “Hurry up, Gov.,” and “Hurry, Governor.” He paid no attention at
first but finally made inquiry and found that the negro spoken to had at
one time been the lieutenant governor of the state.
Washington felt that the greatest thing he could do was to engage in the
kind of work that would help his own people most. He did not want to
preach. He thought there were too many preachers already. He had the
belief that the most important thing to do was to engage in the kind of
work that would fit men of his own race to be good preachers, good
teachers, and good citizens.
In the midst of these thoughts, and before he had definitely made up his
mind as to his career, he received a letter from General Armstrong,
inviting him to deliver the “postgraduate” address at Hampton at
commencement, 1879. This honor brought Washington great joy. He accepted
the invitation and chose as his subject, “The Force That Wins.” He
worked hard for three months on his speech. It made a great impression
on all who heard it, and he was acclaimed one of the real orators of his
race.