Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington (April 5, 1856-November 14, 1915) was an African-American author, educator, speaker, and civil rights leader. He was the leading voice of the black community oppressed by the so-called "Jim Crow" discriminatory laws established during the Reconstruction period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was the first head of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, a position he served in for the rest of his life. Washington published five books during his life, including bestseller Up From Slavery: An Autobiography (1901), The Story of the Negro (1909), and The Man Farthest Down (1912). Often honored during life, his name continues to he held in high regard as an important leader in bringing together black and white communities.