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Herman Cain and the ghost of Booker T. Washing
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2011/10/01/herman-cain-and-the-ghost-of-booker-t-washington/ ^ | Oct 1 2011

Posted on 10/01/2011 9:55:56 AM PDT by Staff Of Moses

Booker T. Washington, the first great leader of African-Americans in the post-slavery era, who emphasized economic self-reliance above all else — including the immediate pursuit of social equality — is a nonperson at the King Center. He is an invisible man.

Some might consider the historical slight to be inconsequential. But it goes some distance toward explaining the hurdle that still faces Herman Cain and his — so far — surprisingly successful quest for the GOP presidential nomination.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bloggersandpersonal; bookertwashington; cain; hermancain; sourcetitlenoturl; washington
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1 posted on 10/01/2011 9:56:04 AM PDT by Staff Of Moses
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To: Staff Of Moses
Blacks had a choice over 100 years ago. Had they followed the wisdom of Booker T. Washington, I believe they would be fully integrated in America and there would not be racism in either the white community or the black community.

Instead, the majority of blacks decided to listen to the race hustlers.

But maybe there will be a second chance.

2 posted on 10/01/2011 9:59:44 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The USSR spent itself into bankruptcy and collapsed -- and aren't we on the same path now?)
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To: Staff Of Moses
Booker T. Washing

Of Booker T and the MGs?

3 posted on 10/01/2011 10:01:03 AM PDT by decimon
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To: Staff Of Moses

““What troubled us about Booker T. was that he did not give us a timetable. When, then, would we be able to assume political and social equality with white folks?” said Marcellus Barksdale, a professor of history and African-American studies at Morehouse College.”

Interesting quote. Notice that he uses the term “assume political and social equality”, rather than “earn” or “achieve”. I guess he considered that impossible figured they would have to take.


4 posted on 10/01/2011 10:04:16 AM PDT by BobL (PLEASE READ: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2657811/posts)
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To: Staff Of Moses

One could compare them by saying Obama is backward looking, trying to right past wrongs, and Cain being forward looking, despite past wrongs.


5 posted on 10/01/2011 10:24:42 AM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: BobL
When, then, would we be able to assume political and social equality with white folks?

I don't know that 'assume' is that bad of a word here. Variations of the word give his statement a decent meaning.

6 posted on 10/01/2011 10:35:20 AM PDT by LearnsFromMistakes (Yes, I am happy to see you. But that IS a gun in my pocket.)
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To: LearnsFromMistakes

“I don’t know that ‘assume’ is that bad of a word here. Variations of the word give his statement a decent meaning. “

Yea, maybe I’m parsing too much. But I do have that kind of opinion when it comes “black studies” professors. The thing that I think Booker was getting at was that blacks may do just fine in this country if they got the skills they needed, but they might not do quite as well as whites, as a class. Thomas Sowell likes to talk about his Harlem neighborhood when he grew up. It was doing pretty well, lots of black-owned business, safe, a nice place to grow up. But probably not as wealthy as the West Side, for example.


7 posted on 10/01/2011 10:40:30 AM PDT by BobL (PLEASE READ: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2657811/posts)
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To: BobL
as·sume
   [uh-soom] verb, -sumed, -sum·ing
verb (used with object)
  1. to take for granted or without proof; suppose; postulate; posit: to assume that everyone wants peace.
  2. to take upon oneself; undertake: to assume an obligation.
  3. to take over the duties or responsibilities of: to assume the office of treasurer.
  4. to take on (a particular character, quality, mode of life, etc.); adopt: He assumed the style of an aggressive go-getter.
  5. to take on; be invested or endowed with: The situation assumed a threatening character.

8 posted on 10/01/2011 10:43:42 AM PDT by reg45 (I'm not angry that Lincoln freed the slaves. I'm angry that Franklin Roosevelt bought them back.)
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To: reg45
A Boatswains Mate Chief at boot camp explained it this way: ass / u / me
9 posted on 10/01/2011 10:58:47 AM PDT by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: Staff Of Moses
“There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs, partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”… Booker T. Washington …1904 quote
10 posted on 10/01/2011 11:13:30 AM PDT by tflabo (Restore the Republic)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Freedmen and never-enslaved Negros did face a lot of undeserved social disapproval in Booker’s day. In order to have been able to swallow Negro slavery, social mores had been warped and often church theology had been warped with it (Southern Baptists, with otherwise solid Christianity, were particularly bad in that respect). Losing those attitudes took a few generations of white people, and as noted some saw in these old attitudes a game that they wanted to keep going for various banal purposes. Booker (and also the Negro scientist George Washington Carver) preached a humble approach, letting the Negro win his case for his social equality on its merits. That would have worked splendidly. Instead we got what George W. Bush would have much later called the soft bigotry of lowered expectations.

In Herman Cain, there is a chance to show that this so called “Uncle Tom” is no less dignified than any white man in America. Barack Obama has really soiled the American presidency, with shenanigans that are too egregious to hide anymore. Herman Cain would bring dignity back to America overnight. He was dead on when he hinted that Barack Obama doesn’t even know how to do “black” the right way.


11 posted on 10/01/2011 11:14:09 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (There's gonna be a Redneck Revolution! (See my freep page) [rednecks come in many colors])
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To: BobL

Had Booker addressed the question, which would probably have required the help of sociologists and theologians, he would have mapped out stages through which the relationship between white America and Negro America ought to evolve, and said however long that takes is up to both of you, whites and “coloreds.” The Southern Baptists could have been a great help by confessing they had made a mistake, but old attitudes did not die easily.


12 posted on 10/01/2011 11:19:27 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (There's gonna be a Redneck Revolution! (See my freep page) [rednecks come in many colors])
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To: decimon

Steve Cropper for VP.


13 posted on 10/01/2011 11:22:38 AM PDT by Carl LaFong (Experts say experts should be ignored.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Hear, hear.


14 posted on 10/01/2011 11:28:41 AM PDT by PieterCasparzen (We need to fix things ourselves)
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To: Staff Of Moses
“There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs-partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.”
Autobiographical Writings Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
15 posted on 10/01/2011 11:30:11 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am ~Person~ as created by the Law of Nature, not a 'person' as created by the laws of Man)
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To: Staff Of Moses

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Freepers-for-Herman-Cain/253524788022421


16 posted on 10/01/2011 11:48:17 AM PDT by big bad easter bunny (Cain 2012)
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To: BobL
The thing that I think Booker was getting at was that blacks may do just fine in this country if they got the skills they needed, but they might not do quite as well as whites, as a class.

I saw Washington's book "Up from Slavery" was number three on Modern Library's top 100 non-fiction books of the 20th Century. I was skeptical until I read it.

As a fan of the greek writer Xenophon, I am convinced that Washington was trying to create the American version of Xenophon's Anabasis. I think he was largely successful.

One of the timeless political truths he was attempting to teach the blacks was that if individually they became the most useful people in their communities: the go to guys for people that needed help, they would acquire true political power. He new that just getting the right to vote was not enough. I've often compared it to this scenario.

How much political power to the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies wield? Their power is significant. Now how much power would they wield if they were prohibited from voting? About the same amount. Why, because they are the ones who have become useful, that can get the needs of the communities met; they are the ones who can get things done.

17 posted on 10/01/2011 11:54:24 AM PDT by ALPAPilot
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To: ALPAPilot

Makes sense to me...sounds like BTW was a really good guy.


18 posted on 10/01/2011 11:59:45 AM PDT by BobL (PLEASE READ: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2657811/posts)
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To: Staff Of Moses

It speaks volumes to have Herman Cain compared with Booker T. Washington. Who shall Zero be compared with? The Manchurian Candidate. . .


19 posted on 10/01/2011 12:16:49 PM PDT by Tomato lover (We need an army of Herman Cain voters!!)
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To: Carl LaFong

“Duck” Dunne for Sec/State?


20 posted on 10/01/2011 12:24:31 PM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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