Washington's speech was built around two graphic images. In the
first, he told the story of a ship at sea which was out of fresh
water. It signaled a passing vessel that it needed fresh water.
The other ship told them to let down their bucket. Finally, after
much consternation, the crew complied. Instead of finding salt
water as they had expected, the bucket was pulled up filled with
fresh water from the mouth of the Amazon. Washington used this
image to suggest that the racial situation could be improved if
both races would begin from where they were. The second picture
which he used was that of the hand. He pointed out that while the
hand was one, the fingers were separate. Similarly, he suggested
that national unity and social segregation could go together.
Washington built on the image of the ship's needing fresh water
to persuade Negroes to start where they were in building their
future. He said:
"To those of my race who depend on bettering their condition in
a foreign land or who underestimate the importance of
cultivating friendly relations with the southern white man, who
is their next-door neighbor, I would say: 'Cast down your bucket
where you are, cast it down in making friends in every manly way
of the people of all races by whom we are surrounded.
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