Atlanta Exposition By Washington Essay, Research Paper

The Atlanta Exposition Address is the fortieth chapter of Booker T.

Washington?s autobiography. This autobiography was called Up From Slavery and

it was written in 1901. The chapter begins by telling the reader that Booker T.

Washington, the author, was in the Atlanta Exposition representing the Negro

enterprise and Negro civilization. He then describes how he gave a brief speech

to the white and black community, and then continues by writing about some

personal experiences and his point of view on some particular issues. Some of

these experiences and issues include the outcome of his speech, how he meets and

thinks about the President of the United States, the invitation to be a judge in

an educational contest, the Negro ministry, and voting. In this chapter, Booker

T. Washington?s main theme is how two different races can live together in

order to achieve progress. In his persuasive speech, he tries to convince black

and white people that they should give their best for the prosperity of the

South. He also tries to persuade people to make friends, no matter what their

skin color or place of birth is. He emphasizes that if two different races can

get to the point where they can trust each other, then they will be surrounded

by the most patient, faithful, law-abiding, and unresentful people that the

world has ever seen. The fact that Up From Slavery is an autobiography clearly

indicates that the book?s point of view is in first person. The reader can

make sure of this by noticing that Booker T. Washington, the author, is the one

who tells the reader what is going on, what he thinks about life, what his

feelings are, and what he thinks about other people. In this chapter the reader

can encounter some insights that will evoke feelings. In other words, a great

deal of emotion is involved. An example of these insights would be when Booker

T. Washington, the next day of the Atlanta Exposition, was surprised to find

himself pointed out and surrounded by a crowd of men who whished to shake his

hand. In order for the reader to feel something, he needs to understand that the

author was black, and in that time, black people used to be slaves. The reader

needs to know the author had never felt something like that in his life. By

being black, nobody cared about him before until that moment. I think that in

this chapter there are some very interesting and brilliant ideas. I actually

thought that black people were illiterate, but now I know I?m wrong. I thought

that they were illiterate because, just as the author described the Negro

ministry, a race with a few years out of slavery had no time or opportunity to

educate themselves. I really think that Booker T. Washington was an honest,

sincere, and extremely smart person. In order to think about life they way he

did, that requires wisdom and not everyone has it.