Booker T. Washington

Blog – How is Washington providing an answer to the ‘go North’ or ‘stay South’ debate we looked at in Frederick Douglass’s Life and Times?


Washington provides many ideas and backup to confirm that he believes that African Americans should stay down South and not go up North. Many African Americans wanted to go up North but Washington thought that this wasn't the right move.
Booker T Washington believed that there was no point of going up North because so many African Americans were going up there at once already. African Americans thought they could have a better life up North and get a good job but so many of them had already gotten there that a lot less opportunities were present for the rest of the people still in the South.

Washington also believes that in the end there are still many opportunities down in the South that can also be found in the North. African Americans have for the most part grown up in the South and they have their own lifestyle there. Going up North wouldn't necessarily be that beneficial for an African American and this is what Washington is trying to tell the people. African Americans think that their jobs aren't good enough and that their life is really bad down in the South and this is why they want to go up North so bad. Washington said that he didn't think this was true as working in the field for example is still a normal job. The people down South would have a tough time adapting to life in the North and it makes sense for them to stay where they are from.

Overall Washington would like things to stay traditional with the African Americans staying in the South. This is what he pushed for in his debate and most of the ideas he brought up.