Booker T. Washington

Born a slave, Booker was nine years old when the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery. His family moved to West Virginia to escape the oppression of the south. There he worked in the mines and learned to read and write. He became a scholar and well written leader when he formed Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and served as its first president.

Washington believed that all people were responsible for the success of their own lives. The Tuskegee Institute was responsible for building self-esteem in the black community and respect among the white community after slavery. He became an important leader and a presidential advisor.

His legacy lives on in the continuation of outstanding education at Tuskegee Institute.