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In reading the first three chapters of Booker T. Washington’s Up From Slavery, I was very moved by his depiction of his life in Virginia. His writing stirred up emotions within me. I was surprised at the sympathy he and other slaves had for their masters. It was also endearing when he told the story of a time when a slave was getting lashed and the young white children begged for his mercy. We are all human beings and belong to the same race, and even then the human spirit was alive among them. The detail of his writing I found to be very engaging. I can picture the cabin he so eloquently described as his families living quarters on the plantation. I found it surprising that they did not hold grudges or have ill feelings toward the white people. Because as I was reading I felt ashamed of how people could actually think they own a person. It is a concept that it is hard for me to accept as part of American history. Ambition and bravery are two words that come to mind while reading about Booker T. Washington. His drive to get an education is so moving. It is funny to me that people are people and some things do not change. For instance, when he first began school all the children wore hats or caps. He felt out of place, so his mother made him a hat out of two pieces of cloth. The children made fun of his hat, as like today with bullying in our schools. Children want to be accepted and fit in whether it be the 1800’s or the 21st century. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome”. The obstacles that Booker T. Washington had to overcome to get to Hampton is draining to put it in today’s perspective world. Starving and freezing with no place to sleep, yet he stayed dedicated.

Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington

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