write the closing words of this autobiography I find
myself--not by design--in the city of Richmond, Virginia: the
city which only a few decades ago was the capital of the Southern
Confederacy, and where, about twenty-five years ago, because of
my poverty I slept night after night under a sidewalk.
This time I am in Richmond as the guest of the coloured people of
the city; and came at their request to deliver an address last
night to both races in the Academy of Music, the largest and
finest audience room in the city. This was the first time that
the coloured people had ever been permitted to use this hall. The
day before I came, the City Council passed a vote to attend the
meeting in a body to hear me speak. The state Legislature,
including the House of Delegates and the Senate, also passed a
unanimous vote to attend in a body. In the presence of hundreds
of coloured people, many distinguished white citizens, the City
Council, the state Legislature, and state officials, I delivered
my message, which was one of hope and cheer; and from the bottom
of my heart I thanked both races for this welcome back to the
state that gave me birth.
End of the Project Gutenberg Etext of Up From Slavery:
An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
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