Up from Slavery
Born in a Virginia slave hut, Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) rose to become the most influential spokesman for African-Americans of his day. In Up from Slavery, he describes events in a remarkable life that began in bondage and culminated in worldwide recognition for his many accomplishments. In simply written yet stirring passages, he tells of…
- His impoverished childhood and youth
- The unrelenting struggle for an education
- Early teaching assignments
- His selection in 1881 to head Tuskegee Institute
- About the author: A firm believer in the value of education as the best route to advancement, Washington disapproved of civil-rights agitation. However, in so doing earned the opposition of many black intellectuals. Yet, he is today regarded as a major figure in the struggle for equal rights who founded a number of organizations to further the cause. His legacy was that of one who worked tirelessly to educate and unite African-Americans.
