Journey Home: Passage to Womanhood by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ten Thousand Words Publishing Co. c/o Authors Guild Digital Services
Published: 2013-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

The crowd was beginning to grow when Jeremiah rode up to the station with his group. The clouds played cat and mouse with the sun, but the partially cloudy sky was a welcome change from the early spring heat of the prairie. The citizens of Libertyville were out in style to welcome their first distinguished guest. Several of Miss Anna’s students held a long banner that read: “Libertyville, Kansas, Welcomes Booker T. Washington!” He was expected to arrive on the 12:45 p.m. train. Mayor Jacob Woodson would be waiting to greet him and direct him to Town Square where he would deliver his address. Following the address, Booker T. Washington would have supper with the Woodson family.

Tammy had been waiting for this day since her Uncle Jacob announced it weeks ago at the last town meeting. She wanted to learn from Mr. Washington what it meant to be a colored leader. She wanted to hear more about the school he started, Tuskegee Institute, and about the life of colored people outside of Libertyville.

Tammy had taken Roundtree’s disappearance very hard. He had been her only direct link to her African heritage. She allowed herself a faint hope that he was still alive, living far away from Libertyville. Perhaps he had found his way back to Africa. She had read in her father’s paper that a group of “Negroes” were leaving America to form their own community in Africa.

A restless stirring from the crowd broke into Tammy’s thoughts. She could hear the train in the distance. The Libertyville railroad station was a flag station, an open wooden platform with a flag that was lowered to signal the conductor to stop for passengers. Today, the train would be stopping to let off one of its most important passengers.

Jacob and Gia were waiting patiently as the train stopped and the porter helped Mr. Washington and his companion off with their bags. When the crowd saw Booker T. Washington, it broke out in whistles, cheers, and applause. There stood the great leader himself, a man of above average height with gentle but intense eyes, wearing a stiffly starched white collar that complemented his rich brown skin. Standing slightly behind him was a tall, medium-sized young man of about eighteen years of age. The young man was Neal McLeod, Booker T. Washington’s travel companion.

“Hello Mr. Washington. On behalf of the citizens of Libertyville, Kansas, I welcome you this afternoon to our fine town,” Jacob said in greeting.

They shook hands and Booker T. Washington replied, “Thank you Mayor Woodson. It is my honor to be among such fine people. I’m looking forward to spending the day with you.” The fanfare continued as the travelers got into the mayor’s wagon and headed for Town Square.

At Town Square, all the citizens who had met Washington at the station joined those who were waiting for him there. Booker T. Washington was seated on the platform, and Mayor Woodson addressed the crowd.

“Citizens of Libertyville, we have our distinguished speaker, Mr. Booker T.

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