Booker Taliaferro Washington was an African-American leader who took on many roles: educator, civil rights leader, former slave, etc. Being born into slavery presented a great task for Washington to overcome, however he was still able to become successful in his years as a freeman. He was one of few slaves that had learned to read and write during this era and he used this to propel himself into leadership during the civil rights movement. Booker T Washington was a man of many titles he was an educator author, orator, and advisor to the president of the United States. He was also the leader of the black community in the late 1800 and the early 1900s. He was of the last generation of leaders who were born into slavery that became the leader of the African American community who lacked voting rights, and living under the notorious Jim Crow laws.
Booker T Washington was born in 1856, he as other children of slaves were born a slave. His mother was a cook and his father was an unknown white man. Booker’s education started when his mother noticed his interest in learning and got him a book from which he learned the alphabet and how to read and write basic words. He was extremely driven to pursue that he left his home in West Virginia and walked 500 miles to Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute in Virginia. He took
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Washington graduated from Hampton in 1875 with honors for his exceptional work. he taught at his old elementary school in Virginia, and attended Seminary school in Washington, D.C. In 1879, he was given the honor to speak at Hampton's graduation ceremonies, where General Armstrong offered Washington a job teaching at Hampton. In the year of 1881 Congress approved fund for a school called the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now referred to as Tuskegee University) whose sole purpose will be too educate colored students. They asked Washington’s mentor to find a white man suitable for the job, but instead recommended Booker T.