Up from Slavery: An Autobiography

In 1856, Washington was born into a family of slaves in Virginia. From there it seemed that his fate had been sealed—to live out his life as a worker in Virginia. But, this was not the case for Washington, whose impoverished childhood and undying desire for education fueled him into a dedicated obsession with the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute until he found himself enrolled at the school itself.

As an educated man, Booker T. Washington rose to power with his views on civil rig…