Booker T. Washington to Charles W. Chesnutt, 27 September 1906
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BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, Principal
WARREN LOGAN, Treasurer
The . . . . .
TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE
For the Training of Colored Young Men and Women
. . . . . Tuskegee Institute, Alabama . . . . .1
September 27, 1906.
Mr. Charles W. Chestnutt
Cleveland, Ohio.
My dear Mr. Chestnutt:
Be sure to read the Sunday World2 for a special account of the Atlanta affair.3
Very truly yours, Booker T. WashingtonCorrespondent: Booker T. Washington (1856–1913), one of the most well-known Black activists of the early 20th century, was born into slavery in Virginia. In 1881, he became the president of what would become the Tuskegee Institute, advocating widely as a speaker and writer for technical education for Blacks, whose entry into American industry and business leadership he believed to be the road to equality. His political power was significant, but because he frequently argued for compromise with White Southerners, including on voting rights, he was also criticized by other Black activists, especially by W. E. B. Du Bois.
1. For readability, the remainder of the letterhead is not transcribed at the top of the letter but is included in this footnote as unformatted text. The letterhead can be seen in its entirety in the accompanying image of the letter. The text of the remainder of the letterhead is as follows: "COMMITTEE ON INVESTMENT OF ENDOWMENT FUND MR. GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY 54 Williams St., New York City, N. Y. MR. J. G. PHELPS STOKES 100 Williams St., New York City, N .Y. MR. PAUL M. WARBURG 52 William St., New York City, N. Y. MR. SETH LOW 30 East 64th St., New York City, N. Y." [back]
2. The New York World was a widely read Democratic newspaper published from 1860 to 1931, made popular by publisher Joseph Pulitzer between 1883 and 1907, with contributions from many famous journalists. Booker T. Washington is likely referring to an upcoming issue to be published on Sunday, September 30, 1906. It contained an editorial by Samuel M. Williams (1869–1959) on the Atlanta Riot the previous weekend (September 22 and 23, 1906), as well as a letter to the editor by John W. E. Bowen, Black president of Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, who had witnessed the riot's aftermath. Along with Chesnutt and Washington, Bowen was a member of the Committee of Twelve. [back]
3. The Atlanta Riot began on Saturday, September 22, 1906, when several Black men were reported in local newspapers to have sexually assaulted White women. A White mob began to attack Black citizens and destroy homes and businesses. Although the exact number of deaths is unknown, between 25 and 40 Black people died (as well as two Whites). Called in on Sunday, September 23, the state militia patrolled the streets and arrested over 200 Black men the next day in the Brownsville area. The riot was covered widely in the national and international news at the time. Among Blacks, it exacerbated tensions between political factions and led to increased criticism of Booker T. Washington's accommodationist approach. [back]
