The Atlanta Exposition Address

For many years, African Americans suffered in the long time curse that slavery had on this country. During the antebellum period slaves were not recognized as human beings by the average white citizen. African Americans were treated with cruelty, disrespect, and in extreme cases they were even killed. After the war ended, the south was filled with an immense amount of lost free souls waiting to be lifted from the chains that poverty had on them. Booker T. Washington advocated to the Southern community to join together not concerning past racial differences and strive as one whole. In his “Atlanta Exposition Address,” Booker T. Washington called out to both the African Americans as well as the Caucasians to come together peacefully and brotherly to “make the interests of both races as one.”
Booker T. Washington knew many of the hardships that his fellow people faced as freed citizens. He was aware of the many issues his race would have to overcome to reach success after the Civil War was over. Even though African Americans had gained their freedom, they were socially and economically still worst off than the average white man. Because Washington knew this, he reached out for the whites to help the blacks overcome many of these obstacles that he knew, alone, they could not accomplish. As Mr. Clark Howell states “The whole speech is a platform upon which blacks and whites can stand with full justice to each other.” [pg 4] In his “Atlanta Exposition Address,” Booker T. Washington states that he had a “desire to say something that would cement the friendship of the races and bring about hearty cooperation between them.” [pg 1] Here Washington’s dictions helps illustrate this solid bond that he wishes will one day come about between the two races of whites and blacks. Washington’s diction uses words like “cement” and “hearty” which clearly help depict this strong and loving bond between the two classes of people. It only emphasizes and illustrates what Washington hopes would be one day more than just a dream. In his Address, he states to those of his race to not “underestimate the importance of cultivating friendly relations with the Southern white man…” [pg 1] Here, Washington is obviously reaching out to his people to join with the Southern white man, which to him seems to be very significant. With Booker T. Washington being an African American and a speaker in the Atlanta Exposition, it provides the audience of that speech with a sense of authenticity for the orator and ground of belief and trust. This supports the idea as to why this speech made much success for Washington as a writer. Washington goes on explaining how many of these changes can be made through the growth of the Negro in education. He then calls for the assistance of the white man in achieving this. He states that they should be “helping and encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in your fields, and run your factories.” In this quote, Washington is asking for the white man’s assistance in the success of the Negro. He states that this will all result in the ability of the Negro to help make something out that in the end will benefit both races economically. Washington goes on saying “you and your families will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the world has seen.” Here Washington is portraying the Negros as these great people like no other. Through the diction he was able to portray his race as something that was truly appealing. He used words like “patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful” to describe his people. All these words contradicted the typical image that African Americans were usually related to things that consisted of evil and darkness. Washington continues in his call for the Southern whites help stating “you shall have patience at all times the patient, sympathetic help of my race…” [pg 3] Washington could not have possibly been clearer in calling for help. This quote stressed the notion of importance and urgency, that this race of people needed an assisting hand to strive as a whole.
In his “Atlanta Exposition Address,” Booker T. Washington called out to both the blacks and whites to join forces peacefully and brotherly to “make the interests of both races as one.” Washington stressed the need and urgency for such relations all throughout his entire speech. He wanted both races to overcome past racial differences and build on these relationships that would bring out the best in all. African Americans had suffered enough during the long time curse that slavery had on this country. To Booker T. Washington, it was the duty of both of the races to rip the chains of poverty off of the many lost souls that roamed the South. After all, “No man whose vision is bounded by colour can come into contact with what is highest and best in the world.”