Publisher's Synopsis
Up from Slavery is the autobiography of Booker T. Washington, an influential African American educator, orator, and leader. The book chronicles his journey from slavery to becoming the founder of Tuskegee Institute and a key figure in post-Civil War Black education and racial uplift.
Born into slavery in 1856 in Virginia, Washington describes his early struggles for education, his deep belief in self-reliance and hard work, and his philosophy of racial progress. He details his experiences as a student at Hampton Institute, his founding of Tuskegee Institute, and his controversial belief that Black Americans should focus on vocational training and economic self-sufficiency rather than immediate political and social equality.
Though controversial, Up from Slavery was widely read and influential, shaping debates on race, education, and civil rights. Washington's philosophy, sometimes criticized as accommodating segregation, was a major force in early 20th-century Black leadership.
