The colored American., 1900-01-13
TEE "WIZARD" OF TUSKEGEE
75a Noble Work of Booker T. Washington
g Industralism's Foremost Advocate
"a True Prophet of His Race"

NJ this generation is Booker L Wash
ir0Ton AS was said of Frederick
Oouolsss. he is not only q great Negro
he is 3 great man. Few characters IN
history. ancient or modern, civil or
military. offer career so replete In
rbrilling incident, so complex in con-
G,rion and environment and yet so
thoroughly successful as that of Mr..
Washington the founder and principal
~ Tugkt gee Normal and Industrial In
dnstrial Institute The story OF his LIE,
tbough often told, furnishes study at
once lpl eresting, instructive and in
spiIing
The fiexlbIlity of American standards
and institutions is plcturesquely IL
narrated III the wide extremes OF eentI
nput and custom with which Mr.
washington has had to deal. Identified
with race, regarded as inferior and
incaDable of progress, he mas risen by
hi. nWn might from the depths OF hu-
man bondage, from the darkness OF
slavery. ana the thTaIdOm OF ignorance
ana poverty to the highest develop
ment offered by freedom, intelligence
aud industry. By the sheer t0rce OF MS
ntrsonaliUy and laDOrs he has won fame
nnon two continents. He has arrested
The attention and commanded the re
spect of the tJremost scholars, states
men. scientists, sOcIOlOgists and econO'
m1sts OF America and Europs, without
regard 10 race, creed or political bent.
He holds the largest place IN the popu-
lar eve, and is the most widely talked
about figure in public life today, and
his theories and methods have produced
the most significant and diverse 01S-
cusgion in the educa ,lOnal aid social
centers known to this decade And
why?
MIR. Washington stands fcr 2 definite
idea. He is the pioneer apostle OF in
dustrial training for the Negro, as the
fundamental principle in The solution
Of the vexatiOus race problem. This
doctrine, perhaps, had eXpOunders and
advocates before Mr. Washington, bnt
noone had ever been able to so clearly
diagnOse The economic disease from
which We suffered or so candidly pre-
sented the facts in the case as this bril-
liant Young man 'fresh from his
b0oksn at Hampton. A keen observer
of human nature, and quick to trace
effects back TO causes, he early in life
detected flaws in our racial sy stem, and
prObed the situation to its core. de
knew history; he knew logic; he had
common sense; he had convictions and
the courage to express them.
Mi. Washington saw about him mil
lions Of despIsed and helpless black z
reOpLe, Just emerging from the status OF
chattels for the most part, unlearned
and Door. He noted peculiar political
condition which sought by legislation
alone to confer upon them species OF
responsibility that could not naturally
be borne by any class without prellm.
insry period of proper instruction and
training in the arts of government
mental culture and capacity fOr sys
tem8tlc bIeadwinning. lie saw that &c
secure 10 the Negro the full and per
manent enjoyment OF American cI1
zenshlp, the superficial conditions, fos'
tered by false conceptions OF education,
excessive political aspiration without
the backing of experience and wealth
and an assumption of equality without
power to project it. must give away
and a solid foundation put under the
emsncipateG race, He declined TO ac
cept shadoWy forms as true citizenship
and insisted upon the doctrine tina
since only the fittest can survive, q people
So gain the right exist musts'Gre0gCLe1
themselves from within, and be pre-
pared to compete on equal terms Will
The beat BRAIN and blood on EARN
While believing in beautiful super
structure, with all the ornamentatloL