Though
history is filled with underdog stories, perhaps the greatest is that of Booker
T. Washington. Born as a
slave, he was immediately placed into the most unfortunate of life
positions. Yet, despite his circumstances, he managed to become an
important figure in the battle of racial
equality, actively working toward the betterment of his race
by providing education and work
opportunities, as well as teaching basic skills necessary to
thrive in the world. Nevertheless, his
achievements and contributions to society would not have been
possible had he not possessed certain character qualities.
'Cursed is the
ground for your sake;
In toil you
shall eat of it
All the days
of your life.'”
Work, then, existed before the Fall and was pleasant, while
toil, which occurred as a result of the Fall, was burdensome. The
problem which Washington faced, as he strove tirelessly toward equipping former slaves with a healthy perspective of work, was the
ignorance regarding the distinction between these two. Newly-freed
blacks, who had spent their lives toiling under the tyrannical rules of abusive masters, assumed that work did not exist; there was only
toil. As a result, a common goal was to
obtain an education, in order that such toil might be escaped. Nevertheless, through his work at the
Tuskegee Institute and through his public speeches, Washington managed
to implant within the minds of many a new understanding of work. He summed up these experiences by saying, “I learned what education was expected to do for an individual. Before going there I
had a good deal of the then rather prevalent idea among our people that to secure an education meant to
have a good, easy time, free from all necessity for manual labor. At Hampton I not only learned
that it was not a disgrace to labor, but learned to love labor, not alone for its financial value, but
for labor’s own sake and for the independence and self-reliance which the ability to do
something which the world wants done brings. At that institution I got my first taste of what it meant to
live a life of unselfishness, my first knowledge of the fact that the happiest individuals are those who do
the most to make others useful and happy.”
Uniquely
tied to Washington's work ethic was his selflessness, through which he also
served his fellow man. He
attested to this himself by saying, “The happiest people are those who do the
most for others. The most miserable are those who do the least,” and,
“The longer I live and the more experience I have of the world, the more I am convinced that, after all,
the one thing that is most worth living for- and dying for, if need be- is the opportunity of making
someone else more happy.” As a
Christian man, his selflessness was well in-keeping with his faith. After all, the core of Christianity, the
Gospel, is the story of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection,
which were executed because of a universal need for a Savior. Christ selflessly took upon Himself the penalty for sin, freeing His
elect. On a lesser scale, Washington exhibited acts of true selflessness
as he dedicated his life to the raising of an entire race from the bonds of slavery.
Finally,
Washington affected the world through his wisdom. During a time of heated opinions
regarding racial equality, Washington was one of the few
people who understood that race was
irrelevant with concern to merit. He said, “Character, not circumstance, makes
the person,” and, “No greater injury can be done to any youth than to let him feel
that because he belongs to this or that race he will be advanced in life regardless of his own merits or
efforts,” and, “The individual who can do something that the world wants done will, in the end, make
his way regardless of his race.” Such wisdom, discussed at length in Proverbs, was no doubt
connected to his Christian faith. Proverbs
4:5-7 says,
“Get
wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not
forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not
forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her,
and she will keep you.
Wisdom is
the principal thing;
Therefore
get wisdom.
And in all
your getting, get understanding.”
Booker T.
Washington, though born a slave, managed to rise above his circumstances and
become an active member of society. Through his work ethic, selflessness, and
wisdom, he contributed to the education of his race, as well as to the knowledge of
the general public regarding race equality. Most importantly, however, his Christian faith was made
evident throughout all of his life, as it is written in Matthew 5:14-16, “'You are the light of the
world. A city that is set on a hill
cannot be hidden. Nor
do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it
gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.'
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