Booker T. Washington
Born in 1856
Booker Taliaferro Washington was an influential African-American leader and educator born into slavery.
After emancipation, he pursued education and became head of the Tuskegee Institute.
Washington advocated for Black advancement through vocational training and economic self-reliance, as outlined in his famous "Atlanta Compromise" speech.
His approach gained support from both white leaders and many middle-class Blacks, making him the dominant Black leader of his time.
However, his accommodationist stance was criticized by more militant activists like W.E.B. Du Bois.
Washington's philosophy emphasized gradual progress and cooperation between races, though his legacy became controversial during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
