THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 5th April 1856

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 5th April 1856 - Booker T Washington was born into slavery in Virginia, United States (US). the son of an enslaved African woman and white planter.

Though "emancipated" from slavery, he was forced to work in salt furnaces and coal mines from the age of nine. At 16 Washington was able to enrol in the Hampton Institute in Virginia. To pay for his tuition and board he worked as a janitor at the institute.

On graduating from school Washington worked as a teacher, initially in his home town, then later at the Hampton Institute. His committed to education as a means of raising the status of African Americans led to him being hired, at age 25, as the first Principal of the Tuskegee Institute which opened in Alabama on 4th July 1881. To finance the Institute's development and growth Washington travelled extensively throughout the US raising funds from both blacks and whites, promoting his idea that education was the key to emancipation for African Americans.

Washington's prominence grew, but also caused controversy, when he delivered a speech on 18th September 1895, before a predominantly white audience, at the opening of the Cotton States Exposition. In his speech Washington proposed that African Americans in the southern states of America should accept white political rule, in return for a basic education and employment opportunities.

The speech by Washington attracted significant criticism from other leading African American at the time, most notably W.E.B. DuBois who dubbed Washington's speech the "Atlanta Compromise" because of his failure to agitate for greater freedom and justice for African Americans, and his willingness to submit to continued dominance by whites over blacks.

Not surprisingly, many whites applauded Washington's philosophy and supported his programmes for educating and employing African Americans within limited boundaries, primarily focussed on serving the needs of the white establishment; the Tuskegee Institute focused on industrial and vocational training but also reflected Washington's vision of self-reliance.

This vision however was at odds with DuBois own views on how to raise the status of African Americans. DuBois was a critic of limiting education available to African Americans to vocational training, arguing that they should have access to the full breadth of education, thus enabling the development of what he saw as the "Talented Tenth" to lead African Americans.

Despite criticism of Washington for his compromise, there is no doubt that through the Tuskegee Institute he made a significant contribution to the fight for greater freedom, fairness and justice for people of African descent within the borders of the US.

Notable teaching staff at the Institute include George Washington Carver, a great agricultural scientist and inventor, and Lamina Sankoh, who was prominently involved in the independence movement when he returned to his native Sierra Leone. Notable alumni include Claude McKay (born in Jamaica), a writer in the Harlem Renaissance and Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X (also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz).

The following video clip looks at Booker T Washington's life and philosophy, and how on the one hand he inspires some, yet infuriates others:

Amma Fosuah
"Always bear in mind that people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone's head. They are fighting to win material benefits to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children." Amilcar Cabral