Booker T Washington Early Involvement In African Affairs

[Brer Dog]

Booker T Washington has traditionally been excluded from history of Pan-Africanism, however his private life and papers confirm that he was in fact one of the most powerful Pan-Africanists of his time. Washington wielded unconstituted power in the realm of African Affairs between 1895 & 1915. He was motivated by a deep love, admiration and respect for African people which guided his actions as he became more adept and sophisticated in African Affairs.

In the next series of posts we attempt to reconstruct the history of Washington’s development as a Pan-Africanists from 1895–1915. During this period he developed relationships with various African nationalists and Pan Africanists and played a direct role in advocating against the cruel act in the Congo Free State and European colonization in Africa. He served as the key strategist in the Liberation Crisis and with precision opposed and debunked the African Exclusion Measure. All of these affairs functioned as building blocks in Washington’s consciousness and each scenario assisted him in his efforts to both understand and advance the plight of African people globally.

At the height of his power Washington delivered a speech which became known as the Atlanta Compromise where he stressed that ‘we could be separate as the fingers and unified as a hand’. He quietly began publicizing against colonial seizure of the land from the indigenous South Africa. Although a great deal of his publicity was done through the Black Press it generally went unnoticed in the United States.

Shortly after that the he could privately corresponding with Henry Sylvester Williams (Pan-African Trinidadian lawyer, councilor and writer) and attending comprehensive sessions in London for the first Pan African Conference which he declared became a ‘movement’ and promised it as such.

At the turn of the century Washington eager to export Tuskegee methods of cotton production to Africa participated in the Togo experiment in the conjunction with the German colonial regime where Tuskegee graduates were sent to work in this expedition were several died. In the Pan African context the expedition was a failure because the human losses outweighed the strides made in the area of cotton production which was designed to benefit Germany not the indigenous African population. The Togo Expedition was a turning point for Washington as he gained a clearer perspective and an enormous amount of knowledge regarding the colonial situation in Africa.

By 1904 Washington was actively publicizing against cruelty in the Congo Free State under King Leopold and when the opportunity arose in the context of Sudan he confirmed and clarified his anti-colonial stance. His next major undertaking in Africa was the Liberian Crisis where he was able to negotiate the long-term fate of the nation in the wake of the French and British threats to annex parts of the country.

He was successful but not without unusual amount of plan to maintain the interest and attention of American politicians. Recognizing Liberia as one of only two independent African nations on the continent Washington was determined to prevent its colonization by imperialist in the region in order to facilitate negotiations. He invited the Liberian Commission to the US, hosted them in Tuskegee and arranged secret meetings between the incumbent President Theodore Roosevelt and the Republic Candidate for President William Taft. The Liberian Crisis was a major endeavour for Washington and the deal he secured for Liberia was far from perfect but it resolved the immediate threat to the nation. He wrote to the editor of the Liberian Register ‘no one, not even the citizens of Liberia is more interested in the progress and success of the Republic than I am.’ He continuously communicated with the African nationalists who transparently described the challenges and struggles they faced in a colonial Africa. These communications in conjunction with his active role in African Affairs became invaluable and informed his efforts to defend African people.

Washington not only helped to promote and produce other Pan-Africanist but effectively modeled how a Pan Africanist should and could function given the opportunity and power to impact policies directed at African populations internationally. He was instrumental in the development of 20th century Pan Africanism.

 

[Apollo Creed]

There is is a school named after him in Liberia. Booker T Washington institute of technology.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

yeah, he doesn't get alot of credit for his influence/impact on pan-africanism

 

[Booker T Garvey]

yeah, he doesn't get alot of credit for his influence/impact on pan-africanism

The similarities between Washingtons school of thought and pan africanism are extremely similar.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

The similarities between Washingtons school of thought and pan africanism are extremely similar.

Booker and Africa(ns)

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[IllmaticDelta]

Booker influenced basically any/all black power and black separatist organizations/movements/leaders of the 20th century

Why are we going to Tuskegee to celebrate the 18th Anniversary of the Million Man March? What did our brother, Dr. Booker T. Washington say about economic development?

In his last address on August 18, 1915, three months before he passed from this earth, before the National Negro Business League in Boston, Massachusetts, an organization he co-founded to promote and assist Black people in developing business, he states:

“The history of civilization throughout the world shows that without economic and commercial success, there can be no lasting or commanding success in other fields of endeavor. This League then has for one of its objects not the tearing down or weakening of other organizations but rather to give them strength and stability.” He went on to say in that same message, “A landless race is like a ship without a rudder.”

Well, with no rudder and a ship on the sea, the ship wonders about aimlessly, but what about a ship with no water to float on? That’s the terrible condition of a Black people numbering nearly 50 million, with no land from which to build an economic future for ourselves…

…Why are we going to celebrate the Holy Day of Atonement, 18th Anniversary of the Million Man March in Tuskegee, Alabama?

First of all, Tuskegee University is a prime university among the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This little town of Tuskegee has given to Black America and the world giants in Dr. Booker T. Washington, Dr. George Washington Carver, the Tuskegee Airmen. Also born in Tuskegee was Rosa Parks…

…Why Tuskegee? That man Booker T. Washington, did you know that that man was really a man that attracted Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey came to America to meet with Mr. Washington; unfortunately, Booker T. Washington had passed.

Monument of Booker T. Washington, at Tuskegee University, entitled: “Lifting the Veil of Ignorance”.

Booker T. Washington had his young students in architecture layout the plans for Tuskegee University. They took the clay land and made bricks and built the buildings. They were not looking for somebody else to do it for them. They were learning how to make themself useful to self as well as others. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad loved Booker T. Washington.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad was in love with Tuskegee University; and he said to us “He wanted to see Tuskegee returned to those wonderful principles upon which that institute and now university was built.” When I spoke to the students at Tuskegee University a few months ago I said, “You are more than who you think you are. Because of who you are, you are in danger.”…

…Why Tuskegee? Well, Tuskegee is like a manger. A manger is a trough. It’s a feeder that is made of carved stone, wood or metal construction and is used to hold food for animals as in a stable. Jesus was born in a manger. It’s not an accident that such greatness has come out of that little city. It’s a manger. It’s a place of feeding ground. Oh, it’s a feeding place for people that have been made savage, that from such an institute and now a university can come that which will civilize not only the Black man and woman of America, but from it the Honorable Elijah Muhammad saw a world institution.

When we dedicated Mosque Maryam, The National Center, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad called it, “A Center for the Re-education and Retraining of the Black Man and Woman of America.” Did you know, brothers and sisters, that in 1965, Tuskegee Institute invited the Honorable Elijah Muhammad to speak. He did not go at that time. He sent our great brother, Dr. Lonnie Shabazz, now known as Dr. Abdul Alim Shabazz, a great educator, and he was received with great love, and respect and honor.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said at that time, “At present, we have hundreds of clubs, organizations, thousands of teachers, hundreds of educators, scholars, scientists, technicians, doctors, judges, lawyers.

We have all kinds of religious believers, teachers, preachers by the thousands, agriculturalists, herdsmen and cattlemen and fishermen and hunters of hundreds of wild game. We have all these organizations, all these talented people. The one thing we don’t have is the unity of the whole.”

…In conclusion, the Great Honorable Marcus Garvey was inspired by Booker T. Washington. He said, “I read, ‘Up from Slavery’ and then my dream, if I may call it, of being a race leader dawned.” Marcus Garvey was fond of saying: Up, you mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.” And the Honorable Elijah Muhammad picked up that motto and said to us, “Up, you mighty nation, you can accomplish what you will.”

Why Are We Going To Tuskegee?

 

[IllmaticDelta]

 

[havoc]

yeah, he doesn't get alot of credit for his influence/impact on pan-africanism

That part of his life was lowkey. Booker didn't even speak on his contribution as a Pan Africanist in his autobiography "Up from Slavery". I remembered reading the back of the book and it has hinted that Booker quietly supported the Civil Rights Movement but there was no detail on his point of view on European colonialism in Africa.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

That part of his life was lowkey. Booker didn't even speak on his contribution as a Pan Africanist in his autobiography "Up from Slavery". I remembered reading the back of the book and it has hinted that Booker quietly supported the Civil Rights Movement but there was no detail on his point of view on European colonialism in Africa.

yeah, Booker wasn't in your face with it but he def did his part


For Belgian Congolese

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For West Indian immigration to the USA