Up From Slavery--Washington
Click above to access
Click above to access
Reading and Writing Workshop
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
Overview
This workshop explores the life, philosophy, and legacy of Booker T. Washington through his autobiography Up From Slavery. Each session pairs Washington’s work with a public domain text to provide historical context and deepen analysis.
Session 1: Introduction to Booker T. Washington and His Times
Session 2: Education as Liberation
Session 3: The Founding of Tuskegee Institute
Session 4: The Atlanta Exposition Address
Session 5: Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois
Session 6: Legacy and Reflection
Overview
This workshop explores the life, philosophy, and legacy of Booker T. Washington through his autobiography Up From Slavery. Each session pairs Washington’s work with a public domain text to provide historical context and deepen analysis.
Session 1: Introduction to Booker T. Washington and His Times
- Main Text: Up From Slavery, Chapter I: “A Slave Among Slaves”
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376 - Paired Text: Excerpt from Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23 - Writing Prompt: Compare the childhood experiences of Douglass and Washington. How do their early hardships shape their later goals?
Session 2: Education as Liberation
- Main Text: Up From Slavery, Chapter III: “The Struggle for an Education”
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376 - Paired Text: “The Blessing of Liberty and Education” by Frederick Douglass (speech)
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/17488/pg17488-images.html#THE_BLESSING_OF_LIBERTY - Writing Prompt: Write a personal reflection on the importance of education in your life, drawing comparisons to Washington’s struggle.
Session 3: The Founding of Tuskegee Institute
- Main Text: Up From Slavery, Chapter VI: “Black Race and Red Race” and Chapter VII: “Early Days at Tuskegee”
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376 - Paired Text: Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Tuskegee Institute (1901)
https://archive.org/details/annualreportofpr1901tusk/page/n5/mode/2up - Writing Prompt: Analyze how Washington built Tuskegee from the ground up and what this says about his leadership philosophy.
Session 4: The Atlanta Exposition Address
- Main Text: Up From Slavery, Chapter XIV: “The Atlanta Exposition Address”
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376 - Paired Text: Full text of the Atlanta Exposition Address (1895)
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2376/pg2376-images.html#chap14 - Writing Prompt: Evaluate the message of the address and how Washington’s philosophy is received by different audiences.
Session 5: Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois
- Main Text: Up From Slavery, Chapters XV–XVI (Washington's public life and critics)
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376 - Paired Text: W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, Chapter III: “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others”
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/408 - Writing Prompt: Compare the perspectives of Washington and Du Bois on racial uplift. Whose approach resonates more with you, and why?
Session 6: Legacy and Reflection
- Main Text: Up From Slavery, Chapter XVII: “Last Words”
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376 - Paired Text: Obituary and memorial article, The New York Times (1905) [if using a public domain news archive or summary]
- Optional substitution: Ida B. Wells, "Booker T. Washington and the Race Problem"
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14975/14975-h/14975-h.htm
- Optional substitution: Ida B. Wells, "Booker T. Washington and the Race Problem"
- Writing Prompt: What is Booker T. Washington’s legacy? How has your view of him evolved over the course of the workshop?