Up from Slavery

First released as a serialized work through a Christian newspaper in 1900, Up from Slavery is the autobiography of the respected late 19th century African-American leader Booker T. Washington. The book describes his experiences as a child born into slavery on a Virginia farm, his struggle to obtain an education at the Hampton Institute, to his rise to prominence in American politics and the African-American community as a political leader and founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In non-confrontational terms, Washington calls for black self-reliance as a means to advance in American society. His educational philosophy as outlined in the book stresses combining academic subjects with learning a trade.