WASHINGTON: CAPITAL MAN, CAPITAL LEGACY
Much more understandable, now, than before, is the reticence of black churches, schools, homes to promote self-help, self-pride, and self-love from one to another one of African descent. Ku Klux Klan members, "patrollers," as they were known, literally scared such notions out of them through terrorist visits.
In Chapter 8-9, "From Malden to the Capitol" and "More Knowledge and a God," Shirley Graham in her outstanding 1955 biography, titled BOOKER T. WASHINGTON EDUCATOR OF HAND HEAD AND HEART, describes harrowing visits to Booker T. Washington's home and school by the Ku Klux Klan, and their threats to his AME pastor in 1877, in Malden, West Virginia. These masked marauders even visited the homes of students and of parents, who attended day and night classes, respectively, instilling fear of vengeance and violence, if they persisted pursuing the uppity education courses at the school.
It became so bad for black people's progress in 1877 in Malden that his pastor came to Booker, who was the prideful teacher, school master of Malden, asking that he answer the "call to preach ," so as to replace him, since he was getting to be too old to put up with the foolishness of the KKK, especially if they were free! So he facilitated his admission into Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. That admission removed Booker from immediate danger, while opening up another world than one he had seen either at Hampton Institute or in Malden.
Shirley Graham then writes, supplying facts that I did not know, about matters in West Virginia, while Booker T. was away in D.C.:
"Meanwhile Negroes in Malden were putting up a fight for their school. Rev . Johnson; Nat Calvert, the livery stable owner; George Peters, the carpenter; and Matt Smith, Fannie's father, traveled all the way to Wheeling to lay their case before the state legislature. They tried to persuade Barber Wells to go along with them, but he was afraid such a thing might offend his customers. The barber was probably right. As a result of the appearance in the state capital of Negroes from Malden, people all over the state began talking about the colored school at Malden. And wherever they talked about the school they talked about its teacher--Booker Washington.
"There were not as many black people in West Virginia as in the states which were sending Negro Congressman to Washington, but with the agitation over schools for their children went the reminder that 'Negroes could now vote.' The thing the KKK had been organized to prevent was happening: Negroes were turning to politics....
"Early in March, Booker Washington at Wayland Seminary, received a letter from a committee of prominent white citizens in Charleston inviting him to canvass the state in the interest of making 'your neighboring city the capital of our fine state.' The sum of money mentioned in the letter made Booker's eyes pop . Life was so full of surprises that the young man did not puzzle his brain over why such an offer should be made to him. He was full of confidence in these days. He was looking for opportunities. And one question was quite settled in his own mind: 'he was not called to preach.' He answered the letter without delay , saying he would be in Charleston by the tenth of March .
"A few days before leaving Washington, Booker T. had the opportunity of hearing Frederick Douglass speak at Howard University, of which Mr. Douglass was a trustee. Douglass's forceful presentation of facts, the strength of his arguments, his eloquence, and his direct simplicity moved Booker as no man's words had ever done before. One little story so impressed the young man that years later he related it in his UP FROM SLAVERY . Mr. Douglass told how once when he was traveling in the state of Pennsylvania he was forced, because of his color, to ride in the baggage car. A number of indignant white passengers went forward to offer their sympathy. One of them said, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Douglass, that you have been degraded in this manner .' Douglass ' reply to this was, 'They cannot degrade Frederick Douglass . The soul that is within me, no man can degrade. I am not the one who is being degraded on account of this treatment, but those who are inflicting it upon me.'
"Booker's seven months in Washington had been rich in friendships and experiences, but nothing was to prove so valuable to him as he moved one step closer to his life's work than these simple words of Frederick Douglass .
"The Charleston Committee launched its campaign carefully, Booker Washington was first presented in the churches of that city. He was preceded by a member of the Committee who told the audience how fortunate it was to have as its speaker tonight 'one of our own boys, a graduate of Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, a student of theology at Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. , and a teacher in the public schools of our neighboring , thriving town, Malden.'
"The introduction brought brisk applause from Negro and white audiences alike. Whatever nervousness Booker might have felt was quickly dispelled by the friendly faces. The issue with which he dealt was not one calling for condemnation or bitter recriminations. At a time when most questions had to do with the struggle between the apprehensive whites and the newly declared black citizens, this discussion of 'where our state capital should be located ' was one that brought these two elements together in common interest. Negroes were proud and delighted that a member of their race had been chosen to present the important issue throughout the state; whites became increasingly interested in the young Negro who could speak without bluster on a subject which concerned them. Young Washington 's calm bearing, his easy speech touched with quaint humor, his respect for all opponents won for him immense popularity throughout the state.
"The campaign lasted three months. When the vote was taken in June, Charleston won the distinction of becoming capital of West Virginia."
P. 111-114
WASHINGTON: CAPITAL MAN, CAPITAL LEGACY
Much more understandable, now, than before, is the reticence of black churches, schools, homes to promote self-help, self-pride, and self-love from one to another one of African descent. Ku Klux Klan members, "patrollers," as they were known, literally scared such notions out of them through terrorist visits.
In Chapter 8-9, "From Malden to the Capitol" and "More Knowledge and a God," Shirley Graham in her outstanding 1955 biography, titled BOOKER T. WASHINGTON EDUCATOR OF HAND HEAD AND HEART, describes harrowing visits to Booker T. Washington's home and school by the Ku Klux Klan, and their threats to his AME pastor in 1877, in Malden, West Virginia. These masked marauders even visited the homes of students and of parents, who attended day and night classes, respectively, instilling fear of vengeance and violence, if they persisted pursuing the uppity education courses at the school.
It became so bad for black people's progress in 1877 in Malden that his pastor came to Booker, who was the prideful teacher, school master of Malden, asking that he answer the "call to preach ," so as to replace him, since he was getting to be too old to put up with the foolishness of the KKK, especially if they were free! So he facilitated his admission into Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. That admission removed Booker from immediate danger, while opening up another world than one he had seen either at Hampton Institute or in Malden.
Shirley Graham then writes, supplying facts that I did not know, about matters in West Virginia, while Booker T. was away in D.C.:
"Meanwhile Negroes in Malden were putting up a fight for their school. Rev . Johnson; Nat Calvert, the livery stable owner; George Peters, the carpenter; and Matt Smith, Fannie's father, traveled all the way to Wheeling to lay their case before the state legislature. They tried to persuade Barber Wells to go along with them, but he was afraid such a thing might offend his customers. The barber was probably right. As a result of the appearance in the state capital of Negroes from Malden, people all over the state began talking about the colored school at Malden. And wherever they talked about the school they talked about its teacher--Booker Washington.
"There were not as many black people in West Virginia as in the states which were sending Negro Congressman to Washington, but with the agitation over schools for their children went the reminder that 'Negroes could now vote.' The thing the KKK had been organized to prevent was happening: Negroes were turning to politics....
"Early in March, Booker Washington at Wayland Seminary, received a letter from a committee of prominent white citizens in Charleston inviting him to canvass the state in the interest of making 'your neighboring city the capital of our fine state.' The sum of money mentioned in the letter made Booker's eyes pop . Life was so full of surprises that the young man did not puzzle his brain over why such an offer should be made to him. He was full of confidence in these days. He was looking for opportunities. And one question was quite settled in his own mind: 'he was not called to preach.' He answered the letter without delay , saying he would be in Charleston by the tenth of March .
"A few days before leaving Washington, Booker T. had the opportunity of hearing Frederick Douglass speak at Howard University, of which Mr. Douglass was a trustee. Douglass's forceful presentation of facts, the strength of his arguments, his eloquence, and his direct simplicity moved Booker as no man's words had ever done before. One little story so impressed the young man that years later he related it in his UP FROM SLAVERY . Mr. Douglass told how once when he was traveling in the state of Pennsylvania he was forced, because of his color, to ride in the baggage car. A number of indignant white passengers went forward to offer their sympathy. One of them said, 'I'm sorry, Mr. Douglass, that you have been degraded in this manner .' Douglass ' reply to this was, 'They cannot degrade Frederick Douglass . The soul that is within me, no man can degrade. I am not the one who is being degraded on account of this treatment, but those who are inflicting it upon me.'
"Booker's seven months in Washington had been rich in friendships and experiences, but nothing was to prove so valuable to him as he moved one step closer to his life's work than these simple words of Frederick Douglass .
"The Charleston Committee launched its campaign carefully, Booker Washington was first presented in the churches of that city. He was preceded by a member of the Committee who told the audience how fortunate it was to have as its speaker tonight 'one of our own boys, a graduate of Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, a student of theology at Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. , and a teacher in the public schools of our neighboring , thriving town, Malden.'
"The introduction brought brisk applause from Negro and white audiences alike. Whatever nervousness Booker might have felt was quickly dispelled by the friendly faces. The issue with which he dealt was not one calling for condemnation or bitter recriminations. At a time when most questions had to do with the struggle between the apprehensive whites and the newly declared black citizens, this discussion of 'where our state capital should be located ' was one that brought these two elements together in common interest. Negroes were proud and delighted that a member of their race had been chosen to present the important issue throughout the state; whites became increasingly interested in the young Negro who could speak without bluster on a subject which concerned them. Young Washington 's calm bearing, his easy speech touched with quaint humor, his respect for all opponents won for him immense popularity throughout the state.
"The campaign lasted three months. When the vote was taken in June, Charleston won the distinction of becoming capital of West Virginia."
P. 111-114
