365 Things I Believe: The Ditch

april5

 

Booker Taliaferro Washington was born into slavery on this day in 1856 at Hale’s Ford, Virginia. He became an educator, author, orator and advisor to Republican presidents.

As a youth he worked in salt furnaces and coal mines in West Virginia before making his way to hampton Institute (now Hampton University). From there Hampton president Samuel C. Armstrong recommended him to be the first leader of the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Alabama. He remained at that post for the rest of his life.

As the guest of President Theodore Roosevelt, Washington was the first African American ever invited to the White House.

Washington died on November 14, 1915 at the age of 59. He was buried on the campus of Tuskegee University.

365 Things I Believe is a revisioning of a year long web project. I initially launched the blog 365 Things I Believe because I think there are important things I have to say. There are eternal truths that are non-debatable, although I realize they’re not universally accepted.

So for a year I did a daily post of one thing I believe to be an indisputable truth. I’m relaunching here at The Write Side of My Brain and will continue through the next year to re-post (mostly) from the original project.

This time graphics and commentary are included. You can buy today’s print here. And, by the end of a year, if not sooner, you’ll be able to purchase the entire series in ebook format.

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