The Freeman

"THE STORY OF THE NEGRO."

The first chapter of a new book by Booker T. Washington, entitled "The Story of the Negro," appears in The Outlook, of which former President Roosevelt is contributing editor, and one of the most popular of American publications, with the issue of September 4. It is the first of a series of six articles which are to be published in The Outlook. The other chapters are eventually to appear with them in book form.

The editor of The Outlook, in the preliminary announcements, states: "Mr. Washington proposes in this book, 'The Story of the Negro,' to tell the story of his race—not in a close order of historical sequence, nor in a scientific way, but from the point of view of a man who has known slavery as well as freedom, and whose wide knowledge of his own people has given him unique opportunities for understanding the feelings and forces which have moved and are moving the more or less inarticulate masses of that race. While the early history and traditions of the Negro have been studied with care, even this part of the narrative is related with frequent references to living persons and contemporary events. A considerable part of the story will include Mr. Washington's own observations and personal reminiscences and his interpretations of the facts and incidents related. We need not point out that for many years Mr. Washington has been in a peculiar sense the spokesman and exponent of his race, and that he knows the motives, aspirations and tendencies of his people thoroughly and sympathetically."

By this publication in The Outlook Mr. Washington will reach the 100,000 subscribers, or the 500,000 readers, weekly reached by this important publication. The book itself is to contain some thirty chapters and should take second place only to "Up from Slavery," the Tuskegee educator's autobiography, which appeared several years ago.

Doubleday, Page & Co., of New York, are to publish this book, as they have published nearly all of the publications written by the Tuskegeean.

We would especially urge the readers of The Freeman to keep in touch with The Outlook while this series of articles is being published, so that they, too, may keep pace with the great American reading world as it follows "the story of the Negro.'

Dr. Washington has put into this new book a vast amount of important information, bearing upon the history of the Negro people, and the two volumes, when finally published, should do much toward educating the world as to the history and progress of the race in America from savagery, through slavery, to civilization.