登陆注册
37929500000053

第53章 Chapter XIII. Two Thousand Miles For A Five-Minute

As the day for the opening of the Exposition drew near, the Board of Directors began preparing the programme for the opening exercises. In the discussion from day to day of the various features of this programme, the question came up as to the advisability of putting a member of the Negro race on for one of the opening addresses, since the Negroes had been asked to take such a prominent part in the Exposition. It was argued, further, that such recognition would mark the good feeling prevailing between the two races. Of course there were those who were opposed to any such recognition of the rights of the Negro, but the Board of Directors, composed of men who represented the best and most progressive element in the South, had their way, and voted to invite a black man to speak on the opening day. The next thing was to decide upon the person who was thus to represent the Negro race. After the question had been canvassed for several days, the directors voted unanimously to ask me to deliver one of the opening-day addresses, and in a few days after that I received the official invitation.

The receiving of this invitation brought to me a sense of responsibility that it would be hard for any one not placed in my position to appreciate. What were my feelings when this invitation came to me? I remembered that I had been a slave; that my early years had been spent in the lowest depths of poverty and ignorance, and that I had had little opportunity to prepare me for such a responsibility as this. It was only a few years before that time that any white man in the audience might have claimed me as his slave; and it was easily possible that some of my former owners might be present to hear me speak.

I knew, too, that this was the first time in the entire history of the Negro that a member of my race had been asked to speak from the same platform with white Southern men and women on any important National occasion. I was asked now to speak to an audience composed of the wealth and culture of the white South, the representatives of my former masters. I knew, too, that while the greater part of my audience would be composed of Southern people, yet there would be present a large number of Northern whites, as well as a great many men and women of my own race.

I was determined to say nothing that I did not feel from the bottom of my heart to be true and right. When the invitation came to me, there was not one word of intimation as to what I should say or as to what I should omit. In this I felt that the Board of Directors had paid a tribute to me. They knew that by one sentence I could have blasted, in a large degree, the success of the Exposition. I was also painfully conscious of the fact that, while I must be true to my own race in my utterances, I had it in my power to make such an ill-timed address as would result in preventing any similar invitation being extended to a black man again for years to come. I was equally determined to be true to the North, as well as to the best element of the white South, in what I had to say.

The papers, North and South, had taken up the discussion of my coming speech, and as the time for it drew near this discussion became more and more widespread. Not a few of the Southern white papers were unfriendly to the idea of my speaking. From my own race I received many suggestions as to what I ought to say. I prepared myself as best I could for the address, but as the eighteenth of September drew nearer, the heavier my heart became, and the more I feared that my effort would prove a failure and a disappointment.

The invitation had come at a time when I was very busy with my school work, as it was the beginning of our school year. After preparing my address, I went through it, as I usually do with those utterances which I consider particularly important, with Mrs. Washington, and she approved of what I intended to say. On the sixteenth of September, the day before I was to start for Atlanta, so many of the Tuskegee teachers expressed a desire to hear my address that I consented to read it to them in a body.

When I had done so, and had heard their criticisms and comments, I felt somewhat relieved, since they seemed to think well of what I had to say.

同类推荐
  • 世说旧注

    世说旧注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道德经三帝注

    道德经三帝注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 六十种曲白兔记

    六十种曲白兔记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 嘉兴寒食

    嘉兴寒食

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • HERACLES

    HERACLES

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • z芯片

    z芯片

    公元3600年,人类的科技已经超乎我们的想象…白熙发明出了能与任何生物结合的智能芯片,几乎世界上所有人身体里,都有一个芯片。这也引起了一些人的注意,他们正是地下组织“v”。他们妄想拿到芯片的控制权,以此来统治世界…虽然他们的听起来计划很周密,但是,殷明和陈雪还是发现了他们的漏洞:“v”组织只控制了人类体内的芯片,但是,我们可以把这种芯片植入到动物体内,趁他们没发现,抢回控制权。为此,人们用了许多时间准备…终于,他们反击了!可是,对于“v”组织来说,那些动物又何尝是他们的对手呢?突然,正义的力量从芯片中传出……“v”组织怎么也不会想到这一点……
  • 你的多情,我的追寻

    你的多情,我的追寻

    千年之前,她来到了那个世界,打乱了所有的安排,却在最后因为误会惨死。千年之后,他追寻而来,因着眼角的泪痣找到了那个牵绊自己千年的人。可是,时空的穿越,带来了他们共同的磨难,各种圈套,各种误会,却是各种信任,各种合作……到底这一世,他们可否共待余生?
  • 生存理论

    生存理论

    当人类不再是食物链顶端的生物,人类文明只能苟存,这个适者生存的世界,进化,开始了
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 网游之PVE玩家

    网游之PVE玩家

    PVE,指玩家对战环境(PlayerVSEnvironment),即在游戏中玩家挑战游戏程序所控制的NPC怪物和BOSS。楚云便是一名PVE玩家。专注杀BOSS,100年不动摇。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 三世守护

    三世守护

    第一世他是神将,被制作出来守护圣山母神。第二世他是人皇,带领人族开始修练,守护圣山,人族。中间还有一世分魂,挽救人族于危难之中。而这一世,他痴傻七年,只为生存而努力。里面的故事,他只旁观者,见证者,被动参与者。故事相对独立,前后因果不大。
  • 卿爷的小宝贝今天乖了嘛

    卿爷的小宝贝今天乖了嘛

    南宫家大小姐被“扔”出家门,遇上A国金融大佬,被人带回了家,从此把卿爷独占,帝都上流圈都知道了风家大少身边多了一个“无权无势”的小丫头。——小丫头明面上又乖又糯好欺负,实际上乖张的性子在Z国上流圈内人尽皆知,招惹谁都不能招惹她,都明白南宫家的大小姐是从小宠到大,年龄小,辈分高,被捧在手心里长大。帝都卿爷,权势滔天,手段毒辣,相貌绝世,在帝都无人敢惹,却对他家小宝贝一再纵容,把小宝贝宠上天。丧心病狂宠妻卿爷x无法无天嚣张宝贝【绝世甜宠+男女主双c+女主团宠+扒马】
  • 紫玄魔道

    紫玄魔道

    一场绝世之恋变成死亡厄运,未死的白衣孤星执三尺青锋,观生死,看尘俗;悟乾坤,杀万帝;一念执着,一面成魔。终跳出沧桑,紫气东来,紫棋化万物之灵,成魔成神一念即可!
  • 仙之磐

    仙之磐

    宇宙之大,天地之广,唯我能修得长生之体,成为众仙之祖!生在弱小民族,任人凌辱的孔洛,机缘走上了修炼之路,步步打开通天大路!一个阔大的世界铺陈开来,神,佛,仙,魔,道,一切都尽收眼底;逆天修仙,靠的是无尽无穷的战斗!新书上传,绝对热血爽文,希望大家多投投推荐票,收藏!……………………………………不一样的仙侠之旅,让我们共同踏上修仙大路!书友群1——草莽大营1:166101151(欢迎加入)请耐心看完一百章,再做定论!