Literary Quote of the Day: Booker T. Washington
Today’s literary quote of the day is from Booker T. Washington‘s Up from Slavery (2nd Chapter):
From any point of view, I had rather be what I am, a member of the Negro race, than be able to claim membership with the most favoured of any other race. I have always been made sad when I have heard members of any race claiming rights and privileges, or certain badges of distinction, on the ground simply that they were members of this or that race, regardless of their own individual worth or attainments. I have been made to feel sad for such persons because I am conscious of the fact that mere connection with what is known as a superior race will not permanently carry an individual forward unless he has individual worth, and mere connection with what is regarded as an inferior race will not finally hold an individual back if he possessess intrinsic, individual merit. Every persecuted individual and race should get much consolation out of the great human law, which is universal and eternal, that merit, no matter under what skin found, is, in the long run, recognized and rewarded. This I have said here, not to call attention to myself as an individual, but to the race to which I am proud to belong.
(Italics inserted by me)
As always, feel free to share your thoughts regarding this particular quote or drop one of your own favorite literary quotes in the comment section of this post.
14 Responses to “Literary Quote of the Day: Booker T. Washington”
My favorite from that time is one by WEB Dubious I don’t remember the exact words but it goes: Less complaining and harder work will do us more good than thousands of civil rights bills. True then as it is now.
Yeah exactly. Or like that story by Benjamin Franklin in which he says that people should spend their time and money more wisely… if they did, they would be less worried about paying taxes (paraphrased as well).
Test – problem with posting comments???
A Change Is Gonna Come
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh, just like the river, I been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come
Oh, yes it will, look it here
Booker T. & the MGs
WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH THIS BESCHISSENE COMMENT ENGINE????
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh, just like the river, I been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come
Oh, yes it will, look it here
‘A Change Is Gonna Come’
B00ker T. & the MGs
(sry for ’0′ instead of ‘o’, but the comment filter is running amok…)
lol Gray, calm down. You left two comments saying that you couldn’t comment…
Ok, but those comment filters really p1ss me off, Michael!
There’s almost as much bloggers here at TMV as comments on an average story, so there’s no lack of moderators (would be funny at a site called ‘the moderate voice’, hehe) and any comment that crosses the line can be corrected very soon. So what’s that bescheuerte filter good for???
Verdammt, and fix that annoying b00ker bug, pls. Isn’t there anyone with admin rights who knows how to edit that filter list??? Ridiculous.
Gray, are you sure that it was a filter? I never have difficult with a filter… Let me try. If it gets published, excuse the language: shit
Heh.
that got through… (sorry people, older tread anyway… heh)
LOL! See, you can swear in German:D
Sure, some comments go through, you just have to void certain words…
Michael, you still haven’t found the punchline!
Oh, btw, what was the name of the author of this essay about slavery?
Booker T. Washington you mean?