I knew that, in a large degree, we were trying an experiment--that of testing whether or not it was possible for Negroes to build up and control the affairs of a large education institution. I knew that if we failed it wold injure the whole race.

Booker T. Washington
About This Quote

Booker T.Washington, in this quote, is talking about the Tuskegee Institute and what would become the Tuskegee University. He was trying to convince white people of the need for black people to build institutions of learning on their own instead of relying on whites. He wanted to show that black people could manage these institutions and benefit from them. He knew it would hurt the white race if his institutions were successful.

Source: Up From Slavery

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