Summary

As Chapter 5 proceeds, Blow continues to write about Booker T. Washington. Blow further details the ways in which Washington’s ideas, goals and strategies—while well intentioned—were often insufficient or counterproductive to the cause of civil rights. Washington advocated for Black Americans to simply focus on educating themselves and attempting to assimilate into white-dominated American society. Washington believed that white Americans would eventually accept Black equality. Unfortunately, Washington’s point of view has largely proven to be misguided, while more decisive and direct action towards progress has proven to be necessary. Blow draws parallels to speeches and actions by Barack Obama that have been overly critical of Black Americans and overly sympathetic towards white Americans.

Blow speculates that, because Booker T. Washington was entrenched in white American culture in various ways, he was blinded to the true horrors of white supremacy. Blow also...