U.S. History 1877-Present 2: Responses to Jim Crow

learning was their guru he encouraged self-help and you know going with the [Washington giving a speech]

flow Booker T hoped this would help his people get an education, get better jobs

and ultimately gain economic independence... Booker T Washington

believes black citizens had to worry about proving themselves worthy of

social equality before they could fight disenfranchisement in segregation he's

quoted as saying the whole future of the N**** rested largely upon the question

as to whether or not he should make himself through his skill intelligence

and character well Booker T's approach was kind of like a secret sneak attack [Man appears from thick grass]

on the system of oppression not all african-americans were particularly

thrilled with Washington's sneak attack scheme young people were feeling bolder

than Washington unafraid of white authority and not wanting to play by [Black Americans protesting segregation]

white rules...... Well many blacks were coming to believe that white resentment and

retaliation was unavoidable on the road to success the intimidation harassment

terrorism and violence they endured convinced them that the American Dream

did not apply to them for them it was the American Nightmare and yet there

weren't cries of viva la revolucion why not well first of all there were a few [People protesting in the street[

little mini revolutions but they were sporadic and unorganized and they just

led to more white violence anti-black violence was everywhere so rising up

wouldn't exactly have been a winning strategy white lawmakers, business owners, [People in a meeting room]

employers, landlords, educators, religious leaders and politicians were all

encouraged they were racist jerks but at least they learned the value of

cooperation black women and men who were too on top of their game were

immediately shoved back down because a black person being as successful as a

white person that sounded like crazy talk... From the

late 19th century through the 1950s federal government put on a blindfold [Uncle Sam wearing blind fold]

when it came to the treatment of blacks in the south and really throughout

America the feds basically said well you guys are on your own good luck we're

guessing African Americans were about as surprised as a kid who's sick of her [Young girl playing with a Jack-in-the-box]

jack-in-the-box