The Importance of Equality
3rd Grade: Booker T. Washington
Education Was Scarce
Let’s take a moment to look at what was happening in the southern United States when Booker arrived in Alabama. After the Civil War, efforts were made to ensure that former slaves could live freely and have opportunities to succeed. However, it wasn’t as simple as it sounds. Many white people in the South were unhappy about losing the Civil War, and some of them still saw Black people as inferior, or less important. Many schools were racially segregated, meaning there were schools for Black children and often better schools for white children.
Eliminating Inequality
Booker thought that the best way to make things better between Black and white people, help former slaves and their children, and remove inequality was by giving Black individuals the tools they needed to succeed on their own. Inequality is when some people lack the rights, opportunities and fair laws of others. Booker knew that Black people needed education and skills to build their own lives as free people and help their communities as active citizens.
Dignity In Work
Booker encouraged Black people to recognize that there is dignity in all kinds of work, whether it’s farming or writing poetry, and not to let their challenges overshadow the opportunities available to them. Dignity means being respected for who you are and what you believe in.
While some people, like W.E.B. Du Bois, had different ideas and called for political action, Booker’s influence as a speaker and thought leader made him the most important figure in the Black community at that time.
Booker Visits the White House
Booker was a very important person. He was so influential that the President invited him to the White House in 1901. Booker passed away in 1915, but his legacy lives on. He showed us that no matter where you come from or what you look like, you can succeed in life with hard work and determination. Today, we have many opportunities, and it is up to us to make the most of them.
Think About It!
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Why is education important?
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Why do you need to work hard in school?
