Booker T. Washington became one of the most influential African American leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Washington, born into slavery on April 5, 1856, lived in Franklin County Virginia with his mother Jane (historians do not know her last name), and his father, a white male whose identity remains uncertain. Having a white father did not change the fact that Washington worked from a very young age instead of attending school and endured the harsh conditions of slavery.
Lincoln abolished slavery in 1863 and after the Civil War ended in 1865 Washington attend school around 1865-1866 (when his family moved to Malden) where a school for formerly enslaved children opened. His early experiences with poverty and slave labor did not affect his determination to learn. He often woke up before sunrise to work and attended school whenever he could. He later said that getting a spelling book was one of the happiest moments of his childhood.
He believed African Americans could gain respect and rights by becoming economically self-sufficient. Washington promoted hard work, job training and business ownership as a path to progress during the era of segregation. Washington continues to impact the U.S on education, economic independence and self-determination…