Booker T. Washington was a prominent African American educator, author, and leader in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born into slavery in 1856 in Virginia, and after emancipation, he worked his way through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and later attended college at Wayland Seminary.

Washington became the founding principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Alabama in 1881. He believed in practical education and vocational training for African Americans to empower them economically and socially. Washington's philosophy of accommodation and gradualism, often referred to as the Atlanta Compromise, emphasized the importance of self-help, education, and economic advancement for African Americans.

Washington's leadership and advocacy for vocational education earned him national recognition, and he became one of the most influential African American leaders of his time. However, he also faced criticism from other Black leaders, such as W.E.B. Du Bois, who believed in a more confrontational approach to racial equality.

Despite the controversies surrounding his leadership style and political strategies, Booker T. Washington's contributions to Black history are significant. He worked tirelessly to promote education and economic independence for African Americans and helped pave the way for future civil rights leaders and activists.