A year or two before his death, Booker T. Washington made an address in a small town in Georgia. When he had finished, an old Confederate soldier, white-haired and white-moustached, pushed forward to the platform, his face aglow with enthusiasm.
“Professor Washington,” he declared, “I want to do now what I never thought I’d be doing—I want to clasp your hand and pledge you my support for the great work you are doing. And furthermore, I want to tell you this: that was the best speech I ever heard in my life and you are the greatest man in this country to-day!”
“I’m afraid you do me too much honor,” said Washington. “Wouldn’t you regard Col. Roosevelt as the greatest man we have?”
“Huh!” exploded the Southerner. “I’ve had no use for him since he invited you to eat a meal with him at the White House.”
§ 155 The Burden of the Black Brother
I just told a story relating to Booker Washington. Here’s another. It was a favorite anecdote of the great negro educator. He said that the citizens of a remote Southern community got interested in a project to import some Europeans to the neighborhood and colonize them.
A meeting was held at the courthouse to discuss ways and means. In the audience sat an elderly and highly respected colored citizen.
After the meeting adjourned the chairman of it hailed the old negro.
“Hello, Uncle Zack!” he said. “I was glad to have you with us to-night. I take it that you endorse the project we’ve put under way?”
“Well, Kunnel, I wouldn’t go so fur ez to say dat,” stated the old man. “To tell you de Gawd’s truth, they’s already mo’ w’ite folks in dis county than us niggers kin suppo’t.”