What Is Washington's Primary Message Of The Atlanta Exposition Speech

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Booker T. Washington was the speaker of the well-known Atlanta Exposition speech, which was given in 1895. He was a prominent African American educator, author, and leader of the African American community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was the founder and first president of Tuskegee Institute, which is an educational institution for African Americans in Alabama. He was a leader of the African American community and was invited to give a famous speech at the Atlanta Exposition, which was an event that was attended by thousands of white Americans.
Washington's intended audience for the Atlanta Exposition speech were the white people who were in attendance at the event, as well as the white people who would read about the speech in newspapers and other publications. His speech was also intended to reach the African American community. With his primary message being a call for racial unity and progress. He believed that by addressing the white audience, he could essentially influence the way they thought about African Americans and change their perceptions. …show more content…

Washington believed that by working hard and becoming successful in business and industry, African Americans would eventually earn the respect and acceptance of white Americans. Washington stated in his speech, "In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress." Throughout the speech, he also emphasized the importance of education and self-improvement for the African American community. Stating, "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. It is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the