Booker T. Washington as an influence on Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison fancies himself a Booker T. Washington, in potential, but he becomes despised in the same sort of way as Booker T., who use to ride first class railroad cars and hotels, promote the idea of segregation for the good of African-Americans but does not practice what he preaches. “For decades, Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was the major African-American spokesman in the eyes of white America. Born a slave in Virginia, Washington was educated …

…undermine’em with grins, agree’em to death and destruction, let’em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open.” After reading this I automatically assumed he meant to say something along the lines of: “infiltrate the enemy and come night time, cut their throats.”, well something along those lines but slightly more long-term but maybe said the way it was it probably compelled, maybe even hypnotized, the character to go and execute it