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Booker T. Washington was a former slave who founded the
Tuskegee Institute and became a well-regarded educational leader. Washington was often
criticized, however, for his emphasis on vocational education--preparation for skilled
manual jobs--rather than academics. In this poem, written in 1941, noted poet Langston
Hughes takes on Washington's critics. How does he explain and justify
Washington's work? Why might he have chosen to write this poem in 1941, many years
after Washington's death?
Read earlier drafts of the poem from Words and Deeds in American History. Use your browser's Back Button to return to this point.
 top of page Read earlier drafts of the poem from Words and Deeds in American History. Use your browser's Back Button to return to this point. |
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| Last updated 09/26/2002 |