1913 · Bozeman, Mt
by [Montana]. [Washington, Booker T.]
Bozeman, Mt: March 16, 1913. Very good.. [2]pp. Original mailing folds, light wear. An interesting letter from a "Mrs. Fletcher" in Bozeman, Montana in the Spring of 1913, in which she reports on family matters, her husband's and friends' activities, and most notably, briefly mentions her attendance at a lecture by Tuskegee's Booker T. Washington: "Mr. Fletcher came up and we went to here [sic] Booker T. Washington. He was a fine speaker." Though a brief mention, Mrs. Fletcher's reference to Washington's 1913 lecture tour, and her positive appraisal of his oratorical skills, provide a surprising ground-level footnote to the historical record of Washington's life and career.
"In March 1913, Washington embarked on a national speaking tour in order to raise money for Tuskegee Institute, the chronically underfunded 'Normal and Industrial School' in Alabama over whose fortunes he had presided since its founding in 1881. Washington's barnstorming tours combined the racial uplift theme for African Americans and appeals to whites that had made Washington the most famous and powerful black man in America. His presentations usually began with a 3-reel motion picture presenting a cast of 'Three thousand Tuskegee students.' Between the reels an octet of students would sing Negro spirituals and 'folklore' songs. Washington would then cap the evening with a speech. After leaving the South on his tour, Washington turned toward the Pacific Northwest, and spent a week visiting Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. As he explained in weekly dispatches he sent the Chicago Defender, he had never visited the region before and was interested in the life of African Americans there. Impressed by the size of the country -- he noted that one county of Montana was larger than the entire state of Massachusetts -- he noted that the small clusters of blacks scattered through the region had limited economic and social prospects" - Black Past. (Inventory #: 4916)
"In March 1913, Washington embarked on a national speaking tour in order to raise money for Tuskegee Institute, the chronically underfunded 'Normal and Industrial School' in Alabama over whose fortunes he had presided since its founding in 1881. Washington's barnstorming tours combined the racial uplift theme for African Americans and appeals to whites that had made Washington the most famous and powerful black man in America. His presentations usually began with a 3-reel motion picture presenting a cast of 'Three thousand Tuskegee students.' Between the reels an octet of students would sing Negro spirituals and 'folklore' songs. Washington would then cap the evening with a speech. After leaving the South on his tour, Washington turned toward the Pacific Northwest, and spent a week visiting Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. As he explained in weekly dispatches he sent the Chicago Defender, he had never visited the region before and was interested in the life of African Americans there. Impressed by the size of the country -- he noted that one county of Montana was larger than the entire state of Massachusetts -- he noted that the small clusters of blacks scattered through the region had limited economic and social prospects" - Black Past. (Inventory #: 4916)