Cast Down Your Buckets...Of Opportunity

One of the first instances where I lived ‘history in the making’ was the presidency of Barack Obama. I myself was just eight years of age when he was first elected President of the United States. Though many individuals make an effort to erase the thought of Obama being president, what is so inspiring about him to me is that he is an excellent leader, father, and influencer. Prior to Obama’s terms in office, our Presidents have always been typical white guys - Obama was the first ever African American to be elected President of the United States, and he managed to transform many individuals’ perception on black aesthetics and culture. I will never forget when Obama was finishing up his second term and he denounced President-elect Trump on camera. Political views aside; however, what is most important about Obama’s message as expressed in the latter is his commitment to inspiring each and every one of us to make informed voting decisions. Obama made a conscientious effort to speak to members of both parties despite having denounced the Republican Party candidate. This is because 2016 was an unusual election year that featured your not everyday politician running for President of the United States - Obama wanted every single voter from then to understand the consequences that would follow if your not everyday politician won the Presidential Election of 2016. He was booed by many individuals, but he redirected his audience’s attention by instilling emphasis on how important one’s vote is - this is a message that has managed to stick with me to this day.

* Attached below is the message I believe has played a significant impact on my voting literacy. Again, this is prior to the Presidential Election of 2016 - Obama warns us from then about Trump, but what is most important for you to come to an awareness to is that Obama cares about voter turnout regardless of political party.

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Looking through the historical lens of time, I have come to an awareness that some leading African American politicians advocated for segregation during the 1890s in hope of gaining acceptance from white people. At first, the latter notion confused me greatly because the thought of it seemed theoretical; however, it later transformed the lens through which I perceived the scope of my comparative literacy analysis. In 1895, a prominent African American politician by the name of Booker T. Washington proclaimed his Atlanta Exposition speech to both white and black people.

Notably, Washington states the following: “cast it down in agriculture, in mechanics, in commerce, in domestic service and in the professions. It is at the bottom of life we must begin and not the top,” (Washington 1895, 2). The latter proclamation suggests that African Americans should remain in the South and work hard to improve their circumstance without upsetting white society - this will ensure economic and social prosperity, according to Washington. By casting down their buckets, Washington urges African Americans to cast aside their grievances in order to become better suited for society. Such grievances include limits to free speech and unfair voting - Washington desires for whites to relinquish their voting rights in hopes of appeasing whites. An eighteen year old African American male who was voting for the first time would have probably listened to Washington since he was a prominent African American politician at the time. What is interesting and necessary to note; however, is that both the eighteen year old African American male and I share an experience of receiving voting messages from leading politicians who are of African American descent. I am a white male who was once encouraged by an African American politician to go out and vote because he told me that my vote matters - meanwhile, an African American male in the 1890s was encouraged to do the opposite by a politician of his own race.

* Attached below is a photograph of Booker T. Washington - he was a prominent African American politician in the 1890s who advocated for African Americans to give up their right to vote. If you would like to read his speech for yourself, here is the link:

http://historytools.davidjvoelker.com/sources/Washington-Atlanta.pdf

* When you are reading BTW's speech, look for the sentiment on page 2, “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” and tell me what you believe BTW is trying to say.

* Personal Note: I believe that Booker T. Washington is rejecting the 14th and 15th Amendment in order to achieve all things essential to mutual progress - he is solely trying to appease whites. Think about it right now by looking down at your hand. Your hand links your fingers together, but your fingers are separated from one another. BTW is urging African Americans to be separate from whites in order to focus on themselves first; however, he promises that they will eventually be accepted by whites. After all, the hand connects all the fingers, so they will eventually coexist. What do you think?