CONTENTS A LETTER FROM DUCHESS 4 CHAPTER ONE Growing Up Enslaved 6 CHAPTER TWO Early Childhood 12 CHAPTER THREE School at Last 20 CHAPTER FOUR Becoming a Teacher 28 CHAPTER FIVE Success and Fame 36 Fast Facts 42 Stop and Think 44 Glossary 45 Online Resources 46 Learn More 46 About the Authors 47 Index 48
Duchess Harris A LETTER FROM DUCHESS I have been a college professor for more than 20 years My favorite course to teach is Black Public Intellectuals We read books written by Black American thinkers The first book we read is Booker T Washington’s autobiography Up From Slavery Washington was a complex man who had a huge impact on the late 1800s Washington was born into slavery It was illegal to teach enslaved people to read or write When Washington was freed in 1865 education became his passion He became an educator and developed teaching strategies Not everyone agreed with his strategies Black author and activist W E B Du Bois was critical of Washington He had different ideas about education When my college students learn this they are tempted to take sides One thing I would like young readers to think about as they read this book is whether there is more than one way to lead Please join me in learning about Washington and his legacy Join me on a journey that tells the story of the promise of freedom
Booker T Washington gave a speech to an audience of white and black people in Mississippi in 1912
