Name__________________ Roots-The Next Generations Episode 3
Date___________
Directions-Read the following reading selection called, Booker T.
Washington. Answer the questions on page 3 based on the reading.
Booker T. Washington
By Mary L. Bushong
How much do you want to learn? Do you try to put off doing
school work or wish you didn't have to attend classes at all? As a
boy, Booker T. Washington could not attend school, but he still
made sure he learned. He even helped build a school which helped
many young black people reach for their dreams.
1
Booker Taliaferro Washington was born a slave in Virginia in
1856. As a small child, his job was to carry water to the men and
women who worked in the fields. After they were freed, he and his
mother moved to West Virginia to work at the salt furnaces. He
longed to go to school but had to make do with a few lessons at
night.
2
When he was sixteen, he received permission from his mother to attend Hampton
Normal Agricultural Institute in Virginia. He walked most of the 200 miles to get there.
Booker paid his tuition by working as a janitor for the school at night. The principal of
the school was so impressed by his desire to learn that he became Booker's mentor. Then
he arranged for a wealthy patron to pay the young man's bills.
3
After graduating, Booker T. Washington returned to his West Virginia home to try
teaching. Then he attended a seminary. Within three years, he returned to the Institute as
a teacher. Not long after, a group of Alabama businessmen contacted the principal of the
Institute. They planned to open a school for blacks in Tuskegee, Alabama and asked for
his suggestion for a man to head up the school. Booker T. Washington was suggested
first. He was just 25 years old.
4
The original site of the Tuskegee Negro Normal Institute was donated by a black
church. The building itself was little more than a shack, and they had a yearly budget of
$2,000.
5
Booker knew it was not enough to do what he thought the school should do. He
borrowed the money to buy an old, abandoned plantation. He built his own school! The
teachers taught students not only how to run a business but also skills they could use to
earn a living. They taught farming, brick making, shoe making, printing, and cabinet
making. The students learned to grow their own food and build their own school
buildings.
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Name__________________ Roots-The Next Generations Episode 3
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By 1888, the Tuskegee Institute owned 540 acres of land and had over 400 students
attending. Perhaps what kept the school so successful were Booker's constant speaking
engagements across the country to gain monetary support from rich patrons. His
conservative political leadership made the school a favorite among whites.
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When teaching the students, Booker taught them that it was important to have good
moral character and a willingness to work hard. Both were needed not only to farm, but
to own land and businesses. In order to gain the respect of others, you had to be worthy of
that respect.
8
In September, 1895, he spoke at the Cotton States and International Exposition in
Atlanta. His remarks were widely reported. Many other black leaders who were more
radical did not like his endorsement of the separation of the races. However, many blacks
at the time were more comfortable with his ideas and supported them.
9
Booker's influence continued to grow, and his opinion was often consulted by
presidents when they wished to appoint a black man to a particular post. Perhaps one of
his most controversial actions was visiting President Teddy Roosevelt in the White House
in 1901. Many Southern white leaders were offended by this action.
10
Both Harvard and Dartmouth Universities honored Booker with honorary degrees.
He wrote a dozen books, one being his autobiography, "Up From Slavery." He also
helped establish the National Negro Business League.
11
He continued to work tirelessly until he became ill in New York City on November
5, 1915. After being warned that he was dying, he returned to Tuskegee. He died there on
November 14, 1915. Over 8,000 people attended his funeral there on the campus.
12
Booker T. Washington knew what it was like to live in poverty with little hope for a
future. He used his opportunities help others build better lives for themselves. The school
he founded over one hundred years ago is still teaching young men and women how to
reach for their dreams.
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Name__________________ Roots-The Next Generations Episode 3
Date___________
Booker T. Washington
1. Why were even small children made to
work as slaves?
3. Booker wanted a good education so
much he was willing to walk a long
distance alone. How far did he travel?
200 miles
50 miles
100 miles
150 miles
5. Why was it so important that the
students learn not only a marketable
skill but also how to run a business?
7.
2. Why do you think many blacks desired
an education so much?
4. What was the name of the school
Booker helped establish in Alabama?
6. Why was it so important for Booker to
get support for his school from the white
population?
Why did Booker require the students have a good moral character and a desire to
work hard?
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Name__________________ Roots-The Next Generations Episode 3
Date___________
Directions-Read the following reading selection called, W.E.B Washingto
DuBois questions on page 5 based on the reading.
W.E.B. DuBois
By Sharon Fabian
W.E.B. DuBois was a scholar. He spent much of his life working on
advanced college degrees. He studied subjects as diverse as sociology
and Latin and Greek, but he didn't spend all of his time studying and
thinking. W.E.B. DuBois also put his ideas into words. He wrote and
lectured so that as many people as possible could understand things the
way that he did.
1
W.E.B. was most interested in learning about his own people - African
Americans. He believed that by learning all that he could, he would find
ways for African Americans to gain their rights and improve their lives.
2
He began his studies early in his life. Even in high school, W.E.B. was an excellent student.
He was bright and achieved even more than his teachers asked of him. He became the local
correspondent for a New York newspaper. He wrote articles encouraging blacks to take
political action. He graduated among the top students, those with hopes of going on to colleges
like Harvard.
3
For financial reasons, DuBois began his college career at Fisk University instead. In
addition to the education his college provided, DuBois also learned more about discrimination,
poverty, and prejudice in the world than he had known growing up. After three years at Fisk, he
transferred to Harvard on a scholarship. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in 1890. He
continued his studies. He earned a master's degree and then a doctorate. While at Harvard, he
studied a mixture of philosophy, history, and economics.
4
In the midst of working on his doctorate, DuBois was chosen by President Hayes for the
honor of studying at Berlin University in Germany. Studying in Europe gave him the chance to
widen his horizons further. He saw how the social problems of African Americans were also
problems faced by people of African descent on other continents.
5
After completing the work for his doctorate at Harvard, Dr. DuBois was ready to go to work.
He began his career at Wilberforce College in Ohio where he taught Latin and Greek. He
stayed there just two years. Then he moved on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he
researched the lives of people in the slums. Eventually, he moved on to Atlanta University.
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Dr. DuBois is known for his work in the field of social sciences. He was one of the first to
study scientifically a problem like the lives of slum residents. His work led the way for modern
sociological research.
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8
DuBois often spoke and wrote to share his findings with others. He taught that black people
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Name__________________ Roots-The Next Generations Episode 3
Date___________
were entitled to equal rights. He was one of the organizers and original members of the
NAACP. He was the editor-in-chief of the NAACP's Crisis magazine for 25 years. He
encouraged gifted black youth to go on to college and follow in his footsteps.
As he became more involved in his work, DuBois became convinced that the problems of
African Americans should be addressed on a worldwide basis along with similar problems
faced by African people on the other continents. He became a leader of the Pan-African
movement and continued as one of its leaders for many years.
9
W.E.B. DuBois always kept his goals in mind. He worked to end racism, to improve the lives
of people with African heritage, and to bring peace among the races, sometimes without much
recognition or thanks. Dr. DuBois said, "Peace will be my applause."
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W.E.B. DuBois
8. W.E.B. DuBois studied at ______.
Harvard University
Fisk University
Berlin University
All of the above
9. He earned a ______ degree.
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate
All of the above
10. He lived during the time period ______.
After the Cold War
Before the Civil War
After the Civil War
Before the Revolutionary War
11. Dr. DuBois advanced the field of ______
with his work in the Philadelphia slums.
Sociology
Latin and Greek
Anthropology
History
12. In Europe, DuBois studied at a university
in ______.
France
Belgium
Germany
England
13. Which happened last?
DuBois was the local editor for a
New York paper.
DuBois went to Germany.
DuBois received his doctorate from
Harvard.
DuBois became editor-in-chief of
Crisis magazine.
14. According to the information in this
15. The Pan-African movement was a
article, which word best describes W.E.B.
movement to help people of African
DuBois?
heritage ______.
Artistic
In Africa
Businesslike
In the United States
Athletic
In Europe
Scholarly
Around the world
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Name__________________ Roots-The Next Generations Episode 3
Date___________
Directions-Answer the questions on below based on Episode 3,
Roots- The Next Generations.
16.Why couldn’t Colonel Warner’s grandson save his life?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
17. How was Simon’s family different from Bertha’s family?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
18.What affect does the Klan have on the community?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
19.What did you like least about the movie in this episode? Explain your
answer.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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