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Booker T. Washington. Teaching School In A Stable And Hen-house. Creating A New School. Booker was facing too many problems and was having trouble setting up the new school. With great effort the school opened on July 4,1881.
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Booker T. Washington Teaching School In A Stable And Hen-house
Creating A New School • Booker was facing too many problems and was having trouble setting up the new school. • With great effort the school opened on July 4,1881. • There were a lot of questions that needed to be answered because the whites worried that Negroes, once educated, would leave the farm and would no longer be available for domestic work • This would tilt the balance and disrupt the economic system of the south.
Making School A Part Of The Community • The original letter to General Armstrong came from a whiteman, Mr. George W. Campbell, and a black ex-slave, Mr. Lewis Adam. • Both these people co-operated and agreed to Booker’s plan and understood his problems. • Mr. Campbell offered all kinds of help. • Booker had learnt that the most beautiful way was providing comfort and happiness to others. • The idea was ingrained in all the students that they should make friends with everyone from all races.
Beginning Of School • It was heartening to know that 30 students applied for admission and all of them were above 15 years of age. • Some of them were public school teachers and nearly 40years old. • They claimed to have read big books and mastered high sounding subjects like Greek and Latin. • The students were fond of memorizing long and complicated rules in grammar and math but had little thought of applying these rules to everyday affairs of their life. • The thought of education meant automatically earning more money.
Arrival Of Miss Olive Davidson • At the end of the first six weeks a new rare face entered as a co-teacher. • She was Miss Olive Davidson who later became Booker’s wife. • She had been a teacher at the Mississippi and a nurse when yellow fever broke out in Ohio. • She had come to the south because she believed people needed more than just book learning • Booker had been very impressed with her moral character and her unselfishness.
Setbacks and Disappointments • The first setback that Booker and the others received was that the students did not want to work with their hands as they were getting an education. • Later on they felt the need of a proper place and found a plantation, were a fire had broken out. • Only five hundred dollars were needed, which was cheap for that large amount of land, but they didn’t even have that much money. • Booker had no choice so he wrote to general Marshall, the treasurer of the Hampton Institute, who happily agreed to loan the money from his personal funds.
Shifting New Plantations • The school was moved to the old plantation. • There had been a cabin which had been earlier used as a dinning room, kitchen, a stable and a hen house. • Within a week a lot of work was put in and the all buildings were in use. • The student also decided to clean up some land so that some crop can be planted. • At first they were reluctant to do manual work, but when they so Booker do it they did so too enthusiastically
Collecting Funds A Problem • The problem of repaying the loan to general Marshall still remained. • Miss Davidson organized festivals and suppers. • She personally approached people in the community for contribution. • Money started trickling in and both the races contributed • Booker was greatly touched when an old woman offered six eggs, when she had nothing else to offer.
