Question

by booker t. washington1895
booker t. washington was born a slave in 1856
and was nine years old when slavery ended. he
became the principal of the tuskegee institute
in alabama, a school designed to teach blacks
industrial skills. washington was a skillful
politician and speaker, and he won the support
of whites in the north and south who donated
money to the school. on september 18, 1895,
booker t. washington made the following speech before a mostly white audience in
atlanta.
ignorant and inexperienced, it is not strange that in the first years of our freedom we
began at the top instead of at the bottom; that a seat in congress or the state legislature
was more attractive than starting a dairy farm or garden.
a ship lost at sea for many days passed a friendly ship and sent out a signal, \water,
water, we die of thirst!\ the answer from the friendly ship at once came back, \cast down
your bucket where you are.\ a second time the signal, \water, water, send us water!\ ran
up from the distressed ship, and was answered, \cast down your bucket where you are.\
the captain of the distressed vessel, 1 at last heeding 2 the injunction, 3 cast down his
bucket, and it came up full of fresh, sparkling water.
to those of my race i would say: \cast down your bucket where you are\ - cast it down in
making friends with the southern white man, who is your next - door neighbor. 4 cast it
down in agriculture, mechanics, in commerce, in domestic service... no race can proper
5 at a learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. it is at the
bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top.

question 1 of 4
which of the following best describes booker t. washingtons
character?
a uncertain
b rebellious
c greedy
d tolerant

Explanation:

Booker T. Washington's actions, such as working to gain support from both Black and White communities, teaching Black people practical skills (industrial skills), and his philosophy of accommodation (as seen in the "Cast down your bucket" metaphor which implies working with the existing situation rather than rebelling) show tolerance. He wasn't rebelling against the system in a radical sense (so not rebellious), there's no indication of greed, and he was clear in his goals (so not uncertain).

Answer:

D. tolerant