Booker T. Washington-The Great Accommodator Booker T. Washington was born Booker Taliafero on April 5th, 1856. He was a Mulatto slave. He and his mother were slaves to James Burroughs, a farmer in Virginia. When his mother married another slave, Washington Ferguson, Booker took the name Booker T. Washington when he entered school. The Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued on September 22nd, 1862 but was not passed until the Civil War ended in 1865, gave Booker the opportunity …showed first 75 words of 322 total…

…showed last 75 words of 322 total…never asked back although he was still continually asked advice by the president. Washington also wrote a best selling book entitled “Up From Slavery”, which was his autobiography. Although Washington’s’ leadership in the black community declined, he was the first to represent the idea of going out and making a difference in their communities instead of letting the change come upon the newly-freed slaves. Washington passed away on November 14th, 1915 after suffering from arteriosclerosis.