Booker T. Washington

1856 - 1915

5 Quotes

Biography

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an influential African American educator, author, and leader who advocated for the education and advancement of African Americans in the post-Civil War United States. Born into slavery, Washington rose to prominence as the head of the Tuskegee Institute, a renowned vocational school for African Americans. He believed in practical education and economic self-reliance as the key to racial progress, emphasizing the importance of hard work, entrepreneurship, and cooperation between African Americans and whites. Washington's speeches and writings, including his famous autobiography 'Up from Slavery,' made him a prominent figure in the fight for racial equality and upliftment.