My struggle for an education

-booker T. Washington

About the author

Booker t. Washington was a well –known negro leader of the united states of America. He was born
in a poor family in 1856. Being poor and black he had to stuggle hard for his education and
progress. He was a good writer and famous orator.

His two autobiographies brought him much fame. These are : up from slavery (1901), and my larger
education (1911).

He breathed his last in 1913.

About the lesson

The writer of this lesson was a poor negro boy. He worked in a coal mine. But he had a
strong desire for education. So he managed to seek admission to a good school in Hampton. The
present lesson is an autobiographical piece narrating the hardships the author had to face while
working to fulfil his aspirations of progress.

Now read the lesson

one day, while at work in the coal mine, I happened to overhear two miners talking about a
great school for coloured people somewhere in Virginia. This was the first time that I had ever heard
anything about any kind of school or college that was more pretentious that the little coloured school
in our town.

As they went on describing the school, it seemed to me that it must be the greatest place on
earth. Not even heaven presented more attraction for me at that time than did the Hampton normal
and agricultural institute in Virginia, about which these men were talking. I resolved at once to go to
that school, although I had no idea where it was, or how many miles away, or how I was going to
reach it. I was on fore constantly with one ambition, and that was to go to Hampton. This thought was
with me hay and night. In the fall of 1827, I determined to make an effort to get there. My mother
was troubled with a grave fear that I was starting out on a ‘wild-goose chase’. At any rate, I got
only a half-hearted consent form her that I might start. I had very little money with which to buy
clothes and pay my travelling expenses. My john helped me all that he could; but, of course, that was
not a great deal.

Finally the great day came, and I started for Hampton. I had only a small cheap satchel that
contained the few articles of clothing I could get. My mother at the time was rather weak and broken
inhealth. I hardly expected to see her again, and thus our parting was all the more sad. She,
however, was very brave through it all.
 The distance from malden to Hapton is about five hundred miles. By walking, begging rides
both in wagons and in the cars, in some way, after a number of days, I reached the city of Richmond,
Virginia , about eighty two miles from Hampton. When I reached there, tired, hungry and dirty, it
was late in the night.

I had never been in a large city, and this rather added to my misery. When I reached
Richmond, I was completely out of money. I had not a single acquaintance in the place; and, being
unused to city ways, I did not know where to go . I asked at several place for lodging, but they all
wanted money, and that was what I did not have. Knowing nothing else better to do, I walked the
streets.

I must have walked the streets till after midnight. At last I became so exhausted that I could
walked no longer. I was tired, I was hungry, I was everything but discouraged. Just about the time
where the broad sidewalk and lay for the night on the ground, with my satchel of clothing for a
pillow. Nearly all night I could hear the tramp of feet over my head.

The next morning I found myself somewhat refreshed, but I was extremely hungry. As soon as
it became light enough for me to see my surroundings, I noticed that I was near a large ship. It
seemed to be unloading a cargo of iron. I went at once to the vessel and asked the captain to permit
me to help unload the vessel in order to get money for food. The captain, a white man, who seemed
to be king hearted , consented. I worked long enough to earn money for my breakfast; and it seems
to me, as I remember it now, to have been about the best breakfast that I have ever eaten.

My work pleased the captain so well that he told me I could continue working for a small
amount per day. This I was very glad to do. I continued working on this vessel for a number of days.
After buying food with my small wages there was not much left to pay my way to Hampton. In order
to economize in every way possible, I continued to sleep under the side walk.

When I had saved enough money with which to reach Hampton, I thanked the captain of the
vessel for his kindness, and started again. Without, any unusual occurrence I reached Hampton, with
a surplus of exactly fifty cents with which to begin my education. The first sight of the large, three
storey brick school building seemed to have rewarded me for all that I had undergone in order to
reach the place. The sight of it seemed to give me new life.

As soon as possible after the grounds of the Hampton institute, I presented myself before the
head teacher for assignment to a class. Having been so long without proper food, a bath, and
change of clothing , I did not, of course, make a very favourable impression upon her. I could see at
once that there were doubts in her mind about the wisdom of admitting me as a student. For some
time she did not refused to admit me, neither did she decide in my favor. I continued to linger about
her, and to impress her in all the ways I could with my worthiness. In the meantime I saw her admitting
other students, and that added greatly to my discomfort. I felt, deep down in my heart, that I could
do as well as they, if I could only get a chance to show what was in me.
 After some hours had passed, the head teacher said to me, “the adjoining recitationroom
need sweeping. Take the broom and sweep it.”

It occurred to me at once that here was my chance. Never did I receive and order with more
delight.

I swept the recitation room three times, than I got a dusting cloth, and I dusted it four times
with my dusting cloth. Besides, every piece of furniture had been moved and every closet and corner
in the room had been thoroughly cleaned. I had the feeling that in a large measure my future
depended upon the impression I made upon the teacher in the cleaning of that room. When I was
through I reported to the head teacher. She was a ‘Yankee’ woman who knew just where to look for
dirt. She went into the room and inspected the floor and closets; then she took her handkerchief and
rubbed it on the woodwork about the walls and over the table and benches. When she was unable to
find ine bit of dirt on the floor or a particle of dust on any of the furniture, she quietly remarked, “I
guess you will do to enter this institution.”

I was one of the happiest souls on earth. The sweeping of that room was my collage
examination. I have passed several examinations since then, but I have always felt that this was the
best one I ever passed.