Journal #16 Booker T. Washington

Shirly Ong
English 48B
8 February, 2008
Journal #16 Booker T. Washington

Quote:
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

Summary:
This quote is also from Up From Slavery, Chapter II. This explains why Booker T. Washington did not envy the white boys as much as he once did in the later years.

Response:
Having learnt that success is measured much by the obstacle that one has overcome before succeed, Booker T. Washington thinks that the race and family backgrounds of the Negro boys turns into advantages. I think success should be measured by the obstacles that one overcomes while striving for success instead of the position that one gets because one may get to a high position much more easily than others do if he has good family backgrounds and connections. To me, his success is not as significant as the success that a Negro strives hard for. Even though I agree with Booker T. Washington’s idea, I do not think the race and family backgrounds of the Negro boys should be considered advantages. The obstacles that one overcame are only measured when their achievements are recognized. The race and family backgrounds does not actually help them in achieving their goals. The fact is that many black people have always been discouraged by their identity as a Negro. Though their backgrounds and how people look down on them may trigger them to strive hard for success, they are still encountering great obstacles. I would rather say the Negro boy could get more from their rough paths to success. They do get “a strength, a confidence” that the whites miss because they must worker harder and perform better than the whites do.