Tuskegee to Voorhees

Tuskegee To Voorhees

In the book, "Tuskegee To Voorhees", I learned about the life of Elizabeth Evelyn Wright. Elizabeth was born on August 18, 1872 to Virginia and Wesley Wright. She was one of twenty-one children who many within her community thought of her as a child to be of no great promise because she was black and female. Elizabeth proved everyone to be wrong. She had a vision. Elizabeth's vision was to serve her people where she felt her service was most needed. She wanted to provide an educational training that would enable boys and girls a foundation to obtain an honest and respectable living that would be recognized by all races. Elizabeth had a vision but first she needed to educate herself in order to carry out her vision.

Elizabeth's education began at the age of seven or eight and because she was an inquisitive child she learned a lot. Her mind was constantly wondering and thirsting for knowledge. While attending school and sitting down on a bench during her break, a gust of wind brought a raggedy piece of paper to Elizabeth's feet and she picked it up. The piece of paper succinctly told how poor colored boys and girls could get an education by working their way through school. The idea of being able to pay for school intrigued Elizabeth and she kept the paper until it was time for her to attend school for a useful career. The school was Tuskegee Industrial Institute.

It took a lot of convincing and coercion from Elizabeth's teacher-friend to get permission from her guardians who were her uncle and grandmother to let her attend Tuskegee. They felt that she was too young and innocent to be attending a school so far away from home. They also believed that she was setting herself up for failure. After much consideration, they decide to let Elizabeth go to Tuskegee to further her training.

Upon arrival to Tuskegee, Elizabeth was amazed at what she saw. She saw intelligent young men and women of her race. She quickly decided that she must find her place there and adjust herself to her new surroundings in the best possible way. She began evening classes since her money could not afford her day classes. Elizabeth worked during the day until her health began to fail. Because of her failing health, Mrs. Washington who was in charge of the female students rearranged Elizabeth's class and work schedule so that she may remain in school.