Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 182
24.03.2006
The Trustees themselves made up the difference by increasing by this amount
their own subscriptions. Thus was successfully concluded the last great and
difficult task which Booker Washington was to be permitted to perform.
Of the hundreds of invitations to speak here, there, and everywhere which kept
pouring in upon him certain ones he definitely accepted because of the moneyraising
opportunities either direct or indirect which they offered; others of less
promise he tentatively accepted to fall back upon in case the more desirable
ones for any reason miscarried. Chautauqua engagements he considered only
where they provided an opportunity for direct appeal for contributions for the
work, or at least the chance to distribute printed matter. Chautauqua bureaus
offering him as much as half the gate receipts above $500 in addition to a
guarantee of $300 a night he turned down out of hand if
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they did not include one or both of these opportunities. No matter how much
money they offered he would never accept such propositions unless they carried
with them some opportunity to make a direct appeal for his work. It was
sometimes suggested to him that he might receive these fees personally and then
turn them over to the school. This he declined to do because he was unwilling to
give even the appearance of capitalizing his reputation and oratorical gifts for
his personal enrichment. Booker Washington was not one of those simplehearted
individuals who are guided solely by what they deem inherently right.
He always strove to avoid the appearance of evil as well as the evil itself; and,
with one unhappy exception, he always succeeded. He fully realized that his
conduct was under constant scrutiny by enemies in both races eager to find
some pretext to drag him down. So circumspect was he in his behavior that once
only between the time he became a national character in 1895 until his death
twenty years later did his critics succeed in distorting any deed of his into the
semblance of misconduct. The very nature of the charge in this one instance was
sufficient refutation for any person acquainted in even the slightest degree with
the man's life, work, or character.
The press as well as the platform he constantly used to keep his work before the
public for money-raising purposes. He had as good a "nose for a story" as the
best of reporters, and every story that came his way was sure to find its way into
print. No matter how driven with
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