Introduction
While making his presentation at the Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895, Booker Washington made one of his most popular addresses, “The Atlanta Compromise Speech”. In the address, Booker T. Washington shared his conviction that African Americans should use what they have prudently and endeavor to shine in their current workplaces and ranks instead of constantly fighting for recognition and white-collar jobs.
He also affirmed that the white people also failed to value what was in their surroundings. He urged both the blacks and whites in the South to understand that they required one another and should look for ways of enhancing peaceful coexistence (Bidwell 59).
To articulate Washington’s belief, this paper presents a critical approach and analysis of his speech. The paper begins with an expression of social criticism before proceeding to literary devices that include allegory, repetition, analogy, and imagery. Booker T. Washington’s speech highlighted accommodation as opposed to confrontations against the segregated scheme under which African Americans existed.
Social Criticism
Booker Washington, a well-known Black teacher in the US in the late nineteenth century, presented the famous Atlanta Compromise Speech in September 1895. In the speech, Washington said that vocational instruction, which provided African Americans with a means of securing a stable income, was more significant to them when compared to social benefits, a high level of learning, or political office. In one remark, he summed up his vision of race relations for the times by affirmation that people can be as different as the fingers in all things simply social, yet united by one hand in all aspects fundamental to mutual growth.
In exchange for African Americans being peaceful and socially distinct from whites, Washington claimed that the white community should assume responsibility for refining the economic and social situations of all Americans, notwithstanding skin color (Graves 5). Such an idea of shared accountability is what is widely recognized as the Atlanta Compromise.
Leaders among the white people in both the Southern and Northern regions received Washington’s articulations with enthusiasm. Nevertheless, the speech troubled Black elites attributable to the fear that Washington’s cooperative approach would ruin their community’s fate to absolute subservience to their white counterparts. Booker T. articulated in Negro terms the accommodationist position of adjustment (Clabough et al. 7). The idea was that if it became clear to the whites that the black community was ready to contribute to national and global development, the barriers of social inequity and racial injustice would gradually diminish. The speech underscored that accommodation was the finest means of ensuring social equality and justice.
Allegory
Allegory formed one of the most remarkable portions of the Atlanta Compromise Speech and was perhaps employed to create an understanding of difficult and hidden concepts. Washington used allegory to inform both the blacks and whites that it was essential to cultivate a good relationship with each other and collaborate in the realization of a prosperous South (Saiani 152). He affirmed that the blacks should not disregard the southern whites or fail to pardon them. The whites and blacks existed together, and overlooking any of the groups is tantamount to ignoring the resources that have been placed right at their doorstep. Washington urged the blacks to disregard their pain and operate jointly with whites to attain quality livelihood.
An allegory that has accorded the Atlanta Compromise Speech outstanding reputation is “Cast down your buckets where you are.” This was said by Washington to reinforce the allegory of “lost ship” while calling on both the whites in the South and African Americans to work hard in their surroundings: acquire resources right where they live (Washington par. 3). This was meant to show both communities that they did not require to search for resources anywhere else. They only needed to cherish their joint efforts to obtain the material prosperity they needed.
Washington explained this point with the example of a ship that has gone astray on the sea for some days, and the people in it were thirsty. A different ship arrived and instructed the people therein to cast down their bucket right at that position, and the water available was the freshwater that they had been yearning to find. The allegory depicts Washington’s notion that the black people should utilize the ability that they already have to succeed in their different areas and occupations.
Being “lost at sea” depicts another allegory used by Washington to represent the predicament of the ship captain. After being lost at sea, the captain became attentive to the instruction of a captain from another ship, and that is when he found fresh water (Washington par. 3). The allegory of being “lost at sea” portrays the perspective that African Americans were in the best position, in the South, where they could develop and utilize skills to improve their lives. Washington used the allegory to encourage the black people to love their surroundings and center on “common labor” for the realization of economic stability and contribution to the prosperity of the region instead of concentrating on social status and politics.
Repetition
Washington connects different sections of his speech through the application of repetition, for example, “cast it down”. He uses this repetition to emphasize to the African Americans that they should work hard to invest in different economic activities since that was the best way of gaining parity in the South. He then employs repetition of the term “prosper” to underscore the idea that they should start by engaging in simple activities in line with their different abilities and talents for their eventual and overall affluence.
This is supported by the repetition of: “It is at the bottom of life that we must begin, not at the top (Washington par. 2).” This affirms the opinion that African Americans should engage in simple businesses such as small dairy farms or gardens rather than yearning to participate in the government by seeking election or seats in Congress and bicameral legislature.
Repetition is evident in numerous segments of Washington’s compromise speech. He repeats the word “opportunity” to reinforce his message. The more he said it, the better it was understood that he was not only communicating to African Americans alone but even the white community. Washington is urging the whites to accord blacks opportunities in the South and work together with them for their shared prosperity. This is evident in the phrase, “to those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue” (Washington par. 5). This makes it clear that Washington was calling on both sides to realize what was around them and employ it for their common good. Such elements of repletion in the Atlanta compromise speech made it an incredibly influential address.
Analogy
Washington did not know that the speech he prepared to encourage coexistence and collaboration in the South would be listed among the greatest speeches in the history of the United States. In his speech, Washington utilized the analogy of the troubled ship on strange land to bring the comparison of blacks and whites as neighbors (Clabough et al. 8). He employed the analogy to articulate recommendable friendship and relationship between the white people and African Americans. It was such a relationship that would generate equal opportunities in areas such as commerce, farming, mechanics, and domestic chores.
Another important analogy used by Washington in his speech is in the terms top and bottom. He was telling the blacks that they should start at the bottom but not at the top. This articulated how blacks used to feel inferior to their white counterparts as they considered themselves underprivileged. Washington was encouraging them that they had the ability to rise from the low economic position to affluence (Graves 7). He could also have wanted to inform the whites that, given opportunity, their black counterparts were just as capable to excel in high positions like themselves. This was a clever approach of presenting the notion of equality in careers and professions. He invoked the idea that the foreigners, blacks, were not endeavoring to steal positions enjoyed by the whites but endeavoring to obtain equal opportunities for the benefit of everyone in the South.
Imagery
Washington employs imagery such as “sixteen million of hands” to bring out a clear picture of the black population in the South (Washington par. 7). The imagery creates influence in the speech since it shows the predominantly white people the significance of their black counterparts if given the chance to contribute to the prosperity of the region. The figure, sixteen million, underscores that the black people could form a vital resource for development if all those hands were to be put to right use. The imagery of hands implies the fundamental role of the black people in industrial growth as part of physical activities or common labor.
With the use of the imagery, “one-third of the population”, Washington stresses his affirmation that the black people are important to the prosperity of the South (Washington par. 7). This supports the idea that having such a considerable fraction of the population in the South, the black people had the necessary collective power to bring a significant impact. With the imagery, Washington acts as a coach before the start of a big game and inspires his audience to collaborate. He also applies the imagery: “thorns and thistles” to express the intricacy of economic development for the black people in a post-emancipation region (Washington par. 8).
Such difficulty is equated with thorns and thistles, which are painful and hinder a person from walking on them easily. The imagery draws emotions of both the white and black communities by demonstrating the level of difficulty and pain that African Americans who were endeavoring to improve their economic status were experiencing attributable to lack of opportunity.
Additionally, Washington portrays the difficult journey to industrial development with the application of the imagery of “path with thorns and thistles” (Washington par. 8). This imagery calls on the whites to allow the contribution of the black people in shaping prosperity instead of subjecting them to difficulty and hardships that were nearly impossible for them to overcome and improve their economic status.
To strengthen this resolve, Washington explains privileges as a “result of severe and constant struggle,” instead of “artificial forcing” by inspiring “social equality” that would incorporate both communities (Washington par. 9). It is after eradication of existing thorns and thistles that there will be a path towards industrial progress. With opportunities for all, hard work and joint effort will be the necessary struggle to guarantee successful endeavors and economic development.
Conclusion
While making his address at the International Exposition of 1895, Booker Washington made one of his most popular affirmations, “The Atlanta Compromise Speech”. The speech uses literary devices that incorporate allegory, analogy, imagery, and repetition to underscore the underlying pronouncement. Washington’s speech emphasized accommodation instead of confrontations against the isolated scheme under which African Americans lived.
Leaders of the white people in both the South and North received Washington’s speech with eagerness. However, the speech bothered Black elites attributable to the fear that Washington’s collaborative approach would ruin their community’s fate to limitless subservience to their white counterparts.
Washington’s view was that the black people should apply the ability they already had to succeed in their diverse areas and occupations. Washington applies imagery, for example, “sixteen million of hands” to highlight a clear picture of the resourcefulness of the black population in the South. The imagery generates influence in the speech since it shows the predominantly white people the implication of their black counterparts if offered the opportunity to contribute to the affluence of the region.
Works Cited
Bidwell, Rebecca. “Washington and Du Bois: Using Historical Figures as Exemplars for Discussing Public Issues.” Iowa Journal for the Social Studies, vol. 29, no. 2, 2021, pp. 58-68.
Clabough, Jeremiah, et al. “Drama-Based Activities: Washington, Du Bois, and Racial Discrimination.” Ohio Social Studies Review, vol. 1, no. 1, 2020, pp. 5-15.
Graves, Joseph. “African Americans in Evolutionary Science: Where We Have Been, and What’s Next.” Evolution: Education and Outreach, vol. 12, no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-10.
Saiani, Paolo. “Towards a New Canon? Rewriting the History (and the Future) of Sociology.” Quaderni di Sociologia, vol. 64, no. 83, 2020, pp. 141-165.
Washington, Booker. The Atlanta Compromise Speech. 1895.