Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History
Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History
Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Booker</strong> T. <strong>Washington</strong>, <strong>Builder</strong> of a Civilization. 130<br />
The average pig is valued at about $5. If each family adds only one pig, in a few<br />
months at the present price for hogs, $10 would be added to the wealth of the<br />
owner, and $14,000 to the wealth of the colored people. If each family adds two<br />
pigs, it would have in a few months $20 more wealth, and $28,000 would be<br />
added with which to promote the welfare of the race during the money<br />
stringency created by the European War.<br />
Let us not put it off, but organize Pig Clubs everywhere. Give each boy and girl<br />
an opportunity to own and grow at least one pig.<br />
[Signed] BOOKER T. WASHINGTON,Tuskegee Institute, Alabama.<br />
This letter was not only printed by most of the white papers as well as all of the<br />
Negro papers, but it was widely endorsed editorially in the white as well as the<br />
black press. Many of the newspapers for whites urged that the white farmers<br />
also follow the suggestion. The granges and farmers' institutes of both races<br />
took up the appeal and urged it upon their members. There can be no doubt that<br />
through the publication of this one brief letter, sent out at just the right<br />
psychological moment, <strong>Booker</strong> <strong>Washington</strong> materially aided the Southern<br />
farmers of both races to tide over a serious crisis and materially increased the<br />
economic wealth of the entire South. As he well knew, the people were<br />
desperate and panicky and hence ready to<br />
Page 175<br />
follow almost any lead. In any ordinary state of the public mind such a letter<br />
could have produced nothing like such an influence. This well illustrated<br />
<strong>Booker</strong> <strong>Washington</strong>'s accurate knowledge of and feeling for the psychology of<br />
the public which enabled him almost without exception to speak or remain silent<br />
at the right times.<br />
<strong>Booker</strong> <strong>Washington</strong> was not only interested in black farmers but white farmers.<br />
He always emphasized the responsibility of the farmer as the builder of the<br />
foundations of society. He was constantly inviting the white farmers of the<br />
surrounding country to visit the school and see what was being done on the<br />
school farms and by the Experiment Station. And the white farmers availed<br />
themselves freely of this opportunity and profited by it. The school's<br />
veterinarian is probably the only one in the county, and this division was<br />
established very largely for the purpose of bringing the school and the<br />
community-- both white and black--into closer relation. In dealing with farmers,<br />
24.03.2006