“From any point of view, I had rather be what I am, a member of the Negro race, than be able to claim membership with the most favoured of any other race. I have always been made sad when I have heard members of any race claiming rights and privileges, or certain badges of distinction, on the ground simply that they were members of this or that race, regardless of their own individual worth or attainments. I have been made to feel sad for such persons because I am conscious of the fact that mere connection with what is known as a superior race will not permanently carry an individual forward unless he has individual worth, and mere connection with what is regarded as an inferior race will not finally hold an individual back if he possesses intrinsic, individual merit. Every persecuted individual and race should get much consolation out of the great human law, which is universal and eternal, that merit, no matter under what skin found, is, in the long run, recognized and rewarded. This I have said here, not to call attention to myself as an individual, but to the race to which I am proud to belong.”
Quote by Booker T. Washington
Work
This book is a personal narrative by the author, who recounts his experiences as a former slave and his subsequent rise to prominence as an educator and civil rights leader. The work offers a first-hand account of the hardships and triumphs faced by the author in his quest for education and equality, providing insight into the historical context of slavery and the Reconstruction era in the United States. more
Author
Booker T. Washington was an influential African American educator, author, orator, and advisor to several U.S. presidents. He was a prominent figure in the African-American community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for his advocacy of vocational education and economic empowerment for African Americans. Washington founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, which evolved into Tuskegee University. He emphasized the importance of self-help and economic independence over immediate political and social reforms. more
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