Up From Slavery

This biography of the life of Booker T. Washington is a fascinating account of how his family went from being enslaved to forming new lives away from their plantation after the Civil War. There are so many aspects of this story that I have taken me completely by surprise and are really astounding. The tone in which the story is written is especially unexpected considering his background in slavery. The story is not angry and Washington is not trying to persuade the reader’s opinions. He is simply telling the events that occurred in his life. I found it especially fascinating and unexpected when Washington told about his feelings for his white masters and plantation owners. “One may get the idea from what I have said, that there was bitter feeling toward the white people on the part of my race… In the case of the slaves on our place this was not true, and it was not true of any large portion of the slave population in the South…” (page 35). Washington then goes on to explain how distraught the slaves were when one of the sons of the plantation owner was wounded in the war. I would have never guessed that the slaves would feel this way. Every other historical account I’ve ever seen has conveyed how the slaves loathed their white masters, and who could blame them?
I have really enjoyed reading this story so far. It is easy to read and surprisingly intriguing. The way in which it is written is refreshing as well. I’ve never read a story about slavery, from a slave’s point of view, that has been so optimistic and has displayed such surprising feelings toward the people who had mistreated them. It is really impressive to witness Washington’s eagerness to obtain an education. It makes me realize how much we take it for granted now because we have to go to school and most people see it as more of a chore than an opportunity. I never knew much about Booker T. Washington before reading this book, but his story definitely makes me want to know more. I also would like to know what he would say about our culture today. I wonder if he would be disappointed in how we so easily overlook things that he had to sacrifice so much for.