Booker T. Washington 
Up from Slavery 

First released as a serialized work through a Christian newspaper in 1900, Up from Slavery is the autobiography of the respected late 19th century African-American leader Booker T. Washington. The book describes his experiences as a child born into slavery on a Virginia farm, his struggle to obtain an education at the Hampton Institute, to his rise to prominence in American politics and the African-American community as a political leader and founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In non-confrontational terms, Washington calls for black self-reliance as a means to advance in American society. His educational philosophy as outlined in the book stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade.

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Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was born into slavery and overcame racism and oppression to become one of the most respected and influential African-American leaders of the late nineteenth century. He founded the Alabama Tuskegee Institute in 1881 and advocated the advancement of African Americans through education and entrepreneurship. An adviser to Presidents Roosevelt and Taft, Washington displayed an apparent acceptance of segregation and clashed with other black leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois who took a more militant approach to social change.