EL 266 Address of Booker T. Washington- Academia at night
"Any one who is willing to work ten hours a day at the brick-yard, or in the laundry, through one or two years, in order that he or she may have the privilege of studying academic branches for two hours in the evening, has enough bottom to warrant being further educated." (Booker T. Washington)
I think that it's great, the invent of night school. It gives those a chance to learn who work all day.
As far as Booker T. goes, well he was a martyr of his time. Way ahead of the rest. And to think of it, he was an African American. What a concept for a man of color to construct an educational institution, and to let women enter into it as well.
The one thing that caught my eye in the readings was Washington's establishment of a night school. I feel that modern society has overlooked the hardships and endurance of people in that era suffered, black and white. Those people worked hard. It wasn't like they served the public by waiting tables or selling cheap merchandise. They helped build railroads and other hard labors. They overcame so much more. Modern society is based on convenience. Everything is about getting something quick rather it is a certificate in a study or food. No one has to really work for much. I blame most of that on technology. But it is early technology helped build America. Academia is such a wonderful thing. I feel that it separates ditch diggers from scientists. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Society needs all types of people to survive.
I thought I had it rough as I work full-time and attend college full-time. People in the late nineteenth century attended night school worked more than ten hours a day, and then went to school. How we, modern society, take that for granted.