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.
In the course of the journey from Tuskegee to Atlanta both coloured and
white people came to the train to point me out, and discussed with
perfect freedom, in my hearing, what was going to take place the next
day. We were met by a committee in Atlanta. Almost the first thing I
heard when I got off the train in that city was an expression something
like this, from an old coloured man near by: "Dat's de man of my race
what's gwine to make a speech at de Exposition to-morrow. I'se sho'
gwine to hear him."
Atlanta was literally packed, at the time, with people from all parts
of the country, and with representatives of foreign governments, as
well as with military and civic organizations. The afternoon papers
had forecasts of the next day's proceedings in flaring headlines.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154