The Life and Legacy of Booker T. Washington

“There are two ways of exerting one's strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” 

-Booker T. Washington 

The legacy of Booker T. Washington inspires me. No matter how many times I read about his life or his book, Up from Slavery, I am reminded of the courage it must have taken to advocate for people, who in some cases, were not very receptive to his advocacy.  

I wonder in 1881, when the Alabama legislature approved $2,000 for a trade school for African Americans to attend, how did he feel? What’s more, I wonder how he responded when General Armstrong, a white man and his mentor, recommended the 25 year-old Washington take on the challenge of starting and leading the school from nothing?

By the time Booker T. Washington died in 1915, 33 years after he opened Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University)-the college had accumulated over $2 million in funding, trained students in 38 trades, employed 200 faculty members, constructed 100 buildings, and enrolled 1,500 students. Booker T. brought his vision to reality. 

The complexity of his legacy is more amazing than his accomplishments. Politically, he advocated for African-Americans to play a submissive role in society and not interfere with whites, while behind the scenes, he challenged the legal system on racism and unfair practices.

I am moved because he understood the power of goal setting. During his time at Tuskegee, his mission was to help African-Americans gain financial independence through specific areas of training. 

Finally, Booker T. Washington’s passion for education is the central theme for me. His story tells us how valuable our work is to our students. Washington understood that without an adequate education, his students were servants to rigid opportunities. However, with one, our students are servants to their limitless possibilities.

-Rodney S. Lewis, Ed.D.