From Up from Slavery

Sing Ruby Siu
English 48B
January 14, 2009
Journal #3 Booker T. Washington

QUOTE:
“ ‘Cast down your bucket where you are’—cast it down in making friends in every manly way of the people of all race by whom we are surrounded” (681).

SUMMARY:
In Washington’s most famous speech, known as “Atlanta Compromise,” he quoted this classic proverb. The literal meaning of the quote in the parable is that the captain of the lost ship was requested to cast down his buckets in the sea to get some drinking water for his thirsty people. At first, the captain did not believe fresh water could be yielded from sea water. However, while the helpful ship nearby sent out this signal the third time, the captain tried to cast his bucket down into the sea. Surprisingly, he got fresh, drinking water out of it.

RESPONSE:

As an Assimilationist, Washington’s goal was to help African Americans to enter the mainstream white society. However, as he was living in a time when African Americans were totally oppressed and lynched subjectively, he was the first one to speak up for their freedom. Why was the speech called the “compromise”? One answer might say it was due to criticism that Washington was too soft in asking for equality. On the other hand, there were people saying that Washington articulated his arguments rhetorically that he successfully illustrated a compromising stance in front of the Whites, while he still strongly requested for a reasonable and favorable position for the African Americans.

It is a fact that Washington applied the dual aspects onto his speech, so that both Whites and African Americans are entitled to certain responsibilities and honor in making African American a productive race. He argued that “the surest way for blacks eventually to gain equal social rights was to demonstrate patience, industry, thrift, and usefulness, and said that these were the key to improved conditions for African Americans in the United States” (Wikipedia). Therefore, he first listed the economic benefits and societal advancement that will be resulted by recognizing African Americans as an essential composition of the population. Instead of jumping onto the same platform level as the privileged Whites at that time, Washington clarified to the Whites that his goal was to train African Americans to reach a vocational level that would enable them low economic opportunities.

He at the same time encouraged the African Americans to “cast down [their] buckets where [they] are”, which means instead of waiting for changes and miracles, African Americans should take actions in socialization to seek for economic opportunities and improvements. There might not be any short-cuts for their road to success, so they all might have to start from the bottom of the social hierarchy. Washington anticipated that there will be a reward of humility, hardship and patience. Although Washington provided the quest for social benefits, however, from this perspective, Washington showed a relatively weaker voice in striving for equality for African Americans, which has evoked many debates over his thesis of the compromise. To many, Washington’s position might as well threatened and worsen the political condition of African Americans.