Chapter 7 - The Atlanta Exposition Address - Exploring the Text: In the introduction to Washington’s autobiography, Up from Slavery, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie McKay make the following observation: “To some, Washington’s autobiography seems to paper over centuries of accumulated white responsibility for the evils of slavery, and instead of demanding the reform of white American institutions, it calls for African American conformity to the dominant myth of individualism in the United States. To other readers, however, Washington’s message in Up from Slavery puts its priorities exactly where they had to be—on the necessity of self-help within the African American community” (Norton Anthology of African American Literature). Which view is closer to yours? Cite specific passages to support your position.