Booker T WashingtonBooker 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 ad 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. Read More Read Less