Instead of jeans and osnaburg for clothes, he wants decent woollen cloth, neat-fitting shoes, and a white collar and a necktie, things which he never thought of wearing before he became educated.
He elaborates on the increased desire for better clothing and personal appearance that comes with education.
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More from Booker T. Washington
By it a race must rise or fall, succeed or fail, and in the last analysis mere sentiment counts for little.
The more I come into contact with wealthy people, the more I believe that they are growing in the direction of looking upon their money simply as an instrument which God has placed in their hand for doing good with.
This country demands that every race shall measure itself by the American standard.
If my life in the past has meant anything in the lifting up of my people and the bringing about of better relations between your race and mine, I assure you from this day it will mean doubly more.