Booker T. Washington

Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856–1915) was an American educator, author, and orator who rose from slavery to become the leading African-American figure of his time. He was the first president and principal developer of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and a prominent spokesman for African Americans between 1890 and 1915. Washington was known for his advocacy of vocational education and character development as means for African-American advancement.