Black History Month

In lieu of Black History month I decided to do some reading on famous black Americans. There are many such leaders to choose from and though I was already familiar with their names I didn't really know a lot of specifics. During my reading I came to really appreciate Booker T Washington.

For those that are unfamiliar with him, he was born the son of a black slave but his father was white. He never knew his father and after the civil war he began studying at a school for teachers. While at that school he made an impression on Samuel Armstrong who was the school's administrator. So lasting an impression that when a group of investors decided to start a school for all blacks in the south, Armstrong recommended Washington to be in charge. The Tuskegee Institute was a big success and helped equip blacks with practical skill sets and prepared them to enter the workforce.

Because of this success, Washington became a leading educator and spokesperson in the black community. He also became a beloved figure among politicians and earned multiple trips to the whitehouse. But this success also earned him criticism among many leaders in the black community who saw Washington as a sell out to the white man. You see instead of sparking political change like they wanted, Washington wanted to create an independent working class of black people. He thought if they could work and support themselves, they wouldn't need the government to support them.

What I find so fascinating is how applicable his life and his worldview are today. One of the reasons he was able to succeed in life was because an older man believed in him and gave him an opportunity to make his life better. With the growing number of black children being born into homes without a father, today's black youth are dying for such men to invest their lives. This illustration also shows me that even though Samuel Armstrong is footnote in the history books, he still made a significant difference. Sometimes it is not what we do with our own lives but what we do to help others that makes the most lasting impressions.

The other major thing I learned was that the criticisms of Washington go to the heart of the current political debate today. Should blacks put their efforts into gaining power in government or should they focus on improving the black economy? Now I realize that many people will say we need to do both, but one of these visions will certainly take precedent. Sadly, today's black leadership still prefers government as the solution to their problems. And worse, they still prefer attacking any black leader that doesn't espouse the party line. Clarence Thomas and other conservative black leaders face the same kind of derision that Washington faced.

One final thing that intrigues me is that Washington did not teach the classical liberal arts to his students but instead focused on trade skills. He took some criticism for this as well from his fellow black leaders. In Michigan, we are currently debating what skills should be needed to graduate high school and there is a growing divide between college prep courses and career and technical courses. Maybe Washington's success will shed some light on this debate so we can determine what's best to prepare all kids for their careers.

I am glad that we have February set aside to study black history. There is a lot to learn and apply to our current day. I have certainly gained a lot of respect for and knowledge from Booker T. Washington.