Booker T. Washington: Educator And Civil Rights Activist

Booker T. Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author and leader of the African American community.

Booker T. Washington was born as a slave on a Virginia plantation in the South in 1856. He earned a Liberal Arts degree from Hampton Institute. He was a teacher for a short time and later established an industrial college in Tuskegee, Alabama (Moses). He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harvard University (McKenna). Washington gained national recognition and was even invited by Theodore Roosevelt to the White House. His advice was sought by many on racial issues and conditions (Moses).

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”- Thomas a. Edison

There are a few ways that Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois differ in their strivings for racial equality. The reason that these men differ in their views are pretty apparent and go back to the separate arguments that Jane Addams and Elizabeth Cady Stanton produced for women's rights in the 19th century. Jane Addams made some compromises in her push for women's suffrage to make her argument easier to swallow and take a small step towards equality. Stanton puts out her whole argument for total equality which made her argument hard for her generation to accept, but got all the problems on the table.

Booker T. Washington was a man with highs standards a great work ethic and he was one of the most respected African Americans of his time. Born to a slave on a plantation in Hale’s Ford, Virginia, Booker T. knew from a young age the importance of a good education. Booker T is mostly known for his part in founding the Tuskegee Institute in 1881 along with George Washington Carver and Lewis Adams. Booker T. Washington was undoubtedly one of the most respected African Americans of his time. His values and beliefs established an imperative relationship with spiritual and political leaders of his time.

The Atlanta Exposition Address by Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), written as a strategy in order to combat racial tensions in the South. Washington was born into slavery, where he worked on a Virginia plantation until emancipation in 1865. He then moved to Virginia with his mother, and taught himself how to read and write. After many years of saving he enrolled in the Hampton Institute (later called Hampton University) in 1875 and Wayland Seminary from 1878-1879. He would later become a teacher at Hampton, and after recommendation from Hampton’s president, he was selected to lead Tuskegee University. He served as principal and founder at the newly built normal school that trained blacks to become teachers and agricultural industrial workers.

Have you ever thought about the hard life of a slave? Booker T. Washington had to face slavery during the civil war. Booker had many challenges trying to get an education that impacted his life and decisions.

Booker T Washington was born In Virginia on a farm on April 5, 1856. Booker T Washington was a born a slave. From 1856 to 1915 Booker T Washington became one of the most Influential African American there was at the time by his great knowledge and his passion to help others. In 1881, Booker T Washington found the school Tuskegee Institute. A African American school made to train teachers. Booker T Washington Attended the school “Hampton University” In 1875 the later on switched and attended

Booker T. Washington was born as a slave. He lived in the south, which was very unkind to blacks, and worked hard to pay for his education. He was a teacher and knew too well how unequal the situation was for black people. While he knew that there was a time to face these inequalities that time was certainly not now but it was going to happen eventually as change itself is inevitable. He felt that the change would be the product of the ever present struggles and challenges faced by slaves and free slaves. Washington was a successful farmer in the South which served as a great example of how hard work can lead to success.

For many years black folks have been suffering under white rule. For many year blacks have been hindered from success, but now blacks have the opportunity to work their way up next to whites if they unite and follow either Booker T. Washington or W.E.B. Dubois. W.E.B. Dubois believes that blacks should demand that blacks fight for their freedom now. On the other hand, Booker T. Washington realizes that the whites aren’t ready for equality with blacks and that they need to gradually increase their freedom by becoming economically successful first then by gradually becoming free.

Booker T. Washington is by far one of the brightest and strongest minds from his time. During his Atlanta Exposition address he displays his intellect masterfully. From Mr. Washington’s use of language he was able to seamlessly piece together a speech that we still analyse to this day. Mr. Washington use of rhetoric explains and enlightens the circumstances of freed African Americans trying to fit into communities in the south. From mistreatment and racism still present in the newly freed people.

African -American history predated the emergence of the United States as an independent country, and African – American literature was similarly in deep roots. Jupiter Hammon who was considered as the first published Black writer in America, he published his first poem named, “An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries”in 1761. Through his poem, he implemented the idea of a gradual emancipation as a way to end slavery. His idea was later reprinted in some works such as Le Mulatre a short story published in 1837 by Victor Sejour

Booker T. Washington was born a slave and worked as a janitor to get through school. Whereas W.E.B. Du Bois was born in the North and faced very little discrimination, and had an easier time getting into College. They were well educated, and the only difference between them was how they were raised in different environments. Both were on the journey to improve African American’s social and political status in America. However, they had different methods for getting what they wanted. Regardless, they were able to aid in ending discrimination and received equal standing in education, labor, acquiring of land, etc.. If it had only been Du Bois fighting for equality, then he would have achieved the fight for equality sooner. On the contrary, Du Bois only provided one view to how African Americans were being treated; Washington had a friendlier approach. This may be due to his fear of being lynched or placing African Americans in a harsher situation than they already were. Washington seemed more methodical—he was thinking about African Americans having the full rights of the 14th and 15th amendments. At the same, he was also concerned about the consequences of his speech, and if it angered the whites more than it relieved the situation they were all facing. Washington and Du Bois had every intention to improve the social and political status of African Americans, but they sought different plans to achieve such goals due to their different upbringings, values, and opinions.

Booker T Washington was an Civil rights activist, educator, author, orator, and advisor for many presidents. Washington was the most influential African American male in the late 19 century and early 20th. Booker Taliaferro Washington was born on April 5, 1856 in Franklin County, Virginia. He was raised by his mother, Jane, who was a slave ; his father, was an unidentified white male. In most states prior to the Civil War, the child of a slave became a slave, it was also illegal to teach slaves to read and write. Majority of washington’s childhood was spent working. After the Civil war,washington's family moved to Malden, West Virginia. His mother saw his passion for education and bought him a book, where he taught himself how to read and

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois were two of the most influential advocates for African American equality during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries (Blatty, 1). Although both men ultimately had the same goal, their methods for achieving African American equality were remarkably different.