Hey, his name is Booker T.
This is how he came up from slavery.
So sit back and listen to what we have to say;
Booker T. Washington is coming your way!
1856 is when he was born,
Having nothing to eat but the animal’s corn.
(there sadly was not enough
food for
the slaves so
sometimes they ate the animal's corn meal.)
He had only one thing to wear.
Being a poor slave boy wasn’t even fair.
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, you will see
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, you will see
His mom was a “big house” cook.
(a "big house" is the slave
owner's home. Booker T. washington's mother was the cook.)
He couldn’t go to school but he could carry their
books.
(During this time slaves were
not allowed to go to school,
but Booker T. washington would carry the slave owner's
children's books for them on the way to school.)
As a boy there was no time to play.
Too busy feeding and cleaning every day.
In 1865 Booker T. was nine.
His mother assured him everything would be fine.
She was praying and singing songs of freedom,
(Booker T.'s mother would sing
songs about being free)
But she was still worrying about how she’d feed 'em.
A man came and read the Emancipation proclamation
(The Emancipation proclamation
was the document
that was written to free slaves.)
And they knew it was the start of a brand new nation.
A nation where blacks are free;
Freedom to go where ever you want to be.
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, you can see
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, you can see
Booker T. began to study on his own.
His father was not the education kind.
He wanted Booker T. to work in the mine.
Booker went to the mine owner’s house to work.
She encouraged his education so that was a perk.
(the mine owner's wife thought
Booker T. Washington deserved an education
so when he would finish his work for the day, she would let him study.)
He would work all day to clean things right
Just so he could study later on that night.
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, you can see
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, you can see
In the fall of 1872
He left to study at Hampton Institute.
His mother was sad to see him leave.
The neighbors gave him money because they did believe.
There he learned to farm and make bricks.
he learned history, science, and arithmetic.
He took all his knowledge,
And created a new college.
So with a neighbor's help
Finally a school for blacks; imagine how they felt!
He had friends white and black.
No matter your color he had your back.
Because of his great bravery,
We tell how he came Up from Slavery.
(Booker T. Washington WAS
THOUGHT OF AS A KIND MAN,
AND HE WAS FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE OF ALL RACES)
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, NOW YOU SEE
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, NOW YOU SEE
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, NOW YOU SEE
F-R-E-E that spells free
Free from slavery, NOW YOU SEE