Up from Slavery

What Hacker News says

1. jsbgMay 2025
   Some books I would put on this list: Knowledge and Decisions by Thomas Sowell, Le Rouge et le Noir by Stendhal, Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington, 1984 by George Orwell.
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2. jostylrDec 2022
   Up From Slavery by Booker T Washington

   After being prepped for an understanding of the conflict of visions by Thomas Sowell, Booker T Washington's autobiography really brings it all home as to what could have been. The accomplishments, the respect, the fulfillment.

   A close second is Shelby Steele's White Guilt, in particular, his description of the difference of his parents' civil rights attitude (change the laws, get along) compared to his own in his youth (burn it down) with his eventual understanding of where that came from and what the consequences were.

   I haven't finished it yet, but I am currently working through Thomas Sowell's Ethnic America which has a very satisfying history so far of different ethnic groups in America.

   I also have to say that most years, I have barely been able to read even a few books. But this year I got audible and have now listened to 35 books. Of course, I have a growing queue which now stands at 176 books.

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3. jvreaganDec 2020
   Up From Slavery by Booker T Washington. Teaches you anything is possible despite your circumstance. Thankful my kids have read it and taken it to heart. This should be a must read for anyone IMO.

   More recently, Disparities and Discrimination by Thomas Sowell was a real eye opener for me.

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4. elcritchDec 2015
   Best of luck mate! I was a McNair scholar in college, even though I am caucasian I still faced my share of challenges and lack of what privelage can bring. To me, that privilege is largely in the sense of self-worth and knowledge about little things such as applying for Pell grants. Financial aid can be enough to allow one to live on in cheaper school areas. A college education for many is less important, but coming from a background such as yours can help establish credibility quickly and provide a broader sense of life. I'd recommend considering it, and especially fill out the FAFSA to see what help you could get (https://fafsa.ed.gov).

   College is still expensive and particularly so in a big city like Seattle. I live in Boise and would highly recommend moving to a more inexpensive city such as Portland or Boise. Rent in Boise, for example, is often only $400 for your own. The job market is also often better in these smaller towns. However, family ties often bind us to a place, so there may be smaller outlying towns around Seattle which have community colleges and such while still being cheaper.

   If you decide college still isn't for you, I'd heartily recommend doing what many of the other posts say: start hacking! Committing to open source projects is a great way to build a portfolio. Another good approach is to start offering to build websites for friends, family, colleagues, and well anybody. You probably know people or acquaintances who have small businesses (construction, stores, ...) that would like to have a website or inventory system but don't realize that it's both relatively cheap to get a website. Listen and offer to do cheap help setting up websites on WordPress, etc. A side benefit is it can help your own community in a positive way. For example, help make a website for "Aunt Matilda's lawn and gardening services".

   I would also recommend reading classic authors who overcame difficult situations and valued practical skills [Up From Slavery - Booker T. Washington](http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2376).

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