Booker T Washington, was one of those people who looks like they are made of unicorns, sugar, and all things nice. He he was a self taught reader. He later went on to work in coal mines, and attened schoool where it was offered. In 1881 (reads the same way back and forth) he founded a school for African Americans to learn agricultural and industrial skills. He said that African Americans should learn trades and try to move gradually. Washington (I feel that I am talking about the president) said that someday they would have the power and money to move up in society. His approach gave him the support of Rockefeller (like 30 Rock. I love 30 Rock <3) These rich, so called philanthropists, allowed him to build schools for African Americans. Presidents also got some of their advice from him. If you ask me Mr. Washington looks slightly crazed.
The theme that Mr. Washington represents is "The pendulum of power is capable of swinging from one side to another with the proper amount of force and voice." This is due to the fact that he thought that with the proper amount of training and money, African Americans could move up in society. The pendulum started on the side of the industrialists and now hopefully it would be on the side of African Americans everywhere. Yeah, like that would happen.
Picture taken from:
http://sethpickens.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/booker20t20washington12.jpg
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I think you raise a real important point here. He does put the rest of us to shame. I mean, there was so much that made his life complete struggle. Agonizing suffering replete with a sense of hopelessness seems to define his existence. Yet, he represents the essence of American identity in his idea of being able to rise above such conditions and become the embodiment of "the better angels of our nature," to paraphrase Lincoln. In many ways, this might be why he was seen as unattainable because his success was such a rarity for anyone. It also makes sense why he would be embraced by Industrialists. I think that this should not lessen his intensely radical and Progressive stance, but invariably, he was not seen as posing a threat to the establishment because, perhaps, so few could have done what he did.
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