Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 104
24.03.2006
Besides these State tours he would, whenever he could take the time, shoot out
into the country surrounding Tuskegee Institute to encourage and promote the
efforts of his neighbors of his own race. In July, 1911, accompanied by some
guests and members of his faculty, he made such a visit to Mt. Olive, a village
on the east of Tuskegee. The party was first taken to the village church where
they found a teeming congregation to greet them. Here Mr. Washington was
introduced by the principal of the "Washington School" who said that since Mr.
Washington's visit eighteen months ago the colored people had purchased fortyone
lots, built several new houses, whitewashed or painted the old ones, and
increased their gardens to such an extent that few, if any, had still to buy their
vegetables.
Mr. Washington opened his talk by saying: "It is an
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inspiration simply to drive through and see your pleasant houses surrounded by
flowers and gardens and all that goes to make life happy." He then appealed to
the women to make their homes as attractive on the inside as the gardens had
made them on the outside. He told them the best receipt for keeping the men and
the children at home and out of mischief was to make the homes so attractive
that they would not want to go away. Then, as always, before he closed he put
in his warnings and injunctions to the derelict: "Paint your houses; if you can't
paint them, whitewash them. Put the men to work in their spare hours repairing
fences, gates, and windows. Get together in your church, as you have in your
schoolwork, settle on a pastor and get him to live in your community. Pay him
in order that he may live here and become a part of your community."
On another such trip through the southwestern part of Macon County, the
county in which Tuskegee is located, he was once accompanied by Judge
Robert H. Terrell, the Negro Judge of the District of Columbia; the Hon.
Whitefield McKinlay, the Negro Collector of Customs for the District of
Columbia; George L. Knox, owner and editor of the Indianapolis Freeman, a
Negro newspaper; W. T. B. Williams, agent for the Anna T. Jeanes Fund and
the Slater Board; Dr. Thomas Jesse Jones of the United States Census Bureau,
and Lord Eustace Percy, one of the Secretaries of the British Embassy at
Washington.
One can well imagine with what pride the simple black farmers of Macon
County displayed their products and