Wherever our people are not getting regular, paying employment, it is largely on account of these things of which I have been speaking; and gradually the opportunities for employment are slipping into the hands of the people of other races.
He discusses how the lack of steady employment opportunities is linked to negative perceptions of the African American workforce.
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More from Booker T. Washington
In this connection I have never been able to understand how the slaves throughout the South, completely ignorant as were the masses so far as books or newspapers were concerned, were able to keep themselves so accurately and completely…
I think I never saw a community of people so happy over anything as were the coloured people over the prospect of this new building.
When freedom came, the slaves were almost as well fitted to begin life anew as the master, except in the matter of book-learning and ownership of property.
Until that question was asked it had never occurred to me that there was no period of my life that was devoted to play.