Why is Booker T. Washington’s Philosophy Being Resurrected?
Larry Miller
Booker T. Washington: The Debate Continues
I recently heard a lecture in Milwaukee in which the speaker stated “Booker T. Washington was right.” While suggesting valuable proposals for economic development for Milwaukee’s devastated communities, he went on to say he had been a disciple of Cornell West and W.E.B. Du Bois, but converted.
The comment about Booker T. Washington caused concern. So I went back to look at the philosophy and work of Booker T. Washington and the controversies that surrounded him.
Following is some historical analysis and some of my thoughts concerning the work of Booker T. Washington.
Washington entered Hampton Institute in 1872 at the age of 16. In 1881 he took charge of a small school in Tuskegee Alabama and began to put his theories into practice. The school became the Tuskegee Normal and