Booker Taliaferro Washington's Leadership Style

On a Wednesday, the 6th of December, 1865, after two hundred and forty-five years of slavery, African American men and women were emancipated after the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. After the Reconstruction Era ended in 1877, ex-slaves and in general, African Americans were misplaced and required heavy guidance in order to bring back power to their race, therefore, leaders arose in communities in attempt to persuade men and women to follow their preachings in hopes of success. When you think of following a leader, most people of course follow the steps of a person who can relate to them, and of course, has the credentials. After realizing the requirements needed from a leader, Booker Taliaferro Washington seemed like a perfect

To surprise, he did not look like a typical black male as he was known as a Mulatto. A big mystery revolves around the father figure of Washington because even to this day, no one is certain who the true father was besides Jane herself. Rumors spread that it could have either been a blacksmith named Ben Hatcher that took Jane in when she ran away from her masters home, or it simply could have been a regular nearby farmer (Norrell 18). The dilemma in this situation is the rarity of the mixed race that Washington was born with that gave him his genetics to become viewed as a “light skin”. Although light skins are viewed as the “elite” portion of African Americans, Washington’s future did not seem too bright within his circumstances growing up. However, he took action rather fast once slaves were set free and pursued his education, leading him into the black elites until he became known into society as a powerful, and very well educated man. One of his most important accomplishments in his life-time was that in 1881, he founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, which is now known today as the Tuskegee University. Washington quickly gained the respect of many in society, as an example, many of the most powerful men in the nation including the nations presidents requested his opinions on certain topics and also shared their thoughts with him. Not to mention, he also was admired by men such as Carnegie, Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan and Huntington. These men leading the American industry not only admired him, but supported his actions and what he stood for by funding his Tuskegee project by supplying him with building materials to enhance his campus. Anytime your name has been spoken positively by any of the men listed above, it is almost certain you are doing something right. Also, the presidents of todays known Ivy league schools such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and