A man was born on April 5, 1856, named Booker T. Washington, who founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.  Beneath his statue is the tribute:  “He lifted the veil of ignorance from his people and pointed the way to progress through education and industry.”  It was Washington who first raised the American blacks from their knees and taught them that by their own efforts they could strike off their chains of economic slavery and win the respect and cooperation of their white neighbors and he knew how hard that was to do.

 So where is the modern day Booker T?  It certainly is not Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and the Farrakhan’s of today.  Washington always pressed his people by expressing to them, “We, blacks, are handicapped by ignorance, therefore we may break the law.  But you, our white friends, know the law, and therefore respect and obey it.  We want to learn from you.  

Washington stressed to his people, “Each one should remember there is a chance for him, and the more difficulties he has to overcome, the greater can be his success.”  

It looks like the leader of the black people (a half white and half black)  of today is taking the blacks back fifty years by leading them back to the era of ignorance rather than forging forward by lifting that veil of ignorance and self-reliance.

Those deep words remind us to be conscious primarily not of our race but of our humanity.  In the long climb upward of that common humanity, few have done more to help so many on their way than that man of goodwill, Booker T. Washington.  So where is the modern day Booker T – would he please step up to the plate because the leader of the black people today is on the road to nowhere?

kommonsentsjane