Booker T. Washington, Builder o - African American History

Booker T. Washington, Builder of a Civilization. 85
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when in New York (Mr. Murphy was then living in New York City) to have you
talk with me fully and frankly about the matters that are in your mind.
However we may differ in our view regarding certain matters, there is no man in
the country whose frankness, earnestness, and sincere disinterestedness I respect
more than yours, and whatever you say always has great weight with me.
Your letter emphasizes the tremendous difficulty of the work at the South. In
most cases, and in most countries where a large section of the people are down,
and are to be helped up, those attempting to do the work have before them a
straight, simple problem of elevating the unfortunate people without the
entanglement of racial prejudice to be grappled with. I think I do not exaggerate
when I say that perhaps a third or half of the thought and energy of those
engaged in the elevation of the colored people is given in the direction of trying
to do the thing or not doing the thing which would enhance racial prejudice.
This feature of the situation I believe very few people at the North or at the
South appreciate. What is true of the Negro educator is true in a smaller degree
of the white educator at the South. I am constantly trying, as best I can, to study
the situation as it is right here on the ground, and I may be mistaken, but aside
from the wild and demagogical talk on the part of a few I am unable to discover
much or any change in the attitude of the best white people toward the best
colored people. So far as my own individual experience and observation are
concerned, I am treated about the same as I have always been. I was in Athens,
Georgia, a few days ago, to deliver an address before the colored people at the
State Fair, and the meeting was attended by the best class of whites and the best
class of
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colored people, who seemed to be pleased over what I said.
Mr. Blank, a Southern Congressman, just now is making a good deal of noise,
but you will recall that Mr. Blank spoke just as bitterly against me before Mr.
Roosevelt became President as he has since. I do not want to permit myself to
be misled, but I repeat that I cannot see or feel that any great alienation has
taken place between the two classes of people that you refer to.
For the sake of argument I want to grant for the moment a thing which I have
never done before, even in a private letter, and which is very distasteful to me,
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