Contributions
"History class, Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama." Credit: Library of Congress
Booker T. Washington, though frequently overlooked and understudied in mainstream history courses, is nonetheless important. Without Washington, the realm of education—specifically for African American students—would look entirely different.
Washington's most notable contribution to education (and rightfully so) was his dedication of founding and becoming the first president of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. Washington was in for a rude awakening upon his arrival at Tuskegee, Alabama. Namely, there was no school or land for a school—there was also no money to procure land, as funds set aside were only for paying instructors (Tuskegee University, n.d.). Per Tuskegee University, "The school opened July 4, 1881, in a shanty loaned by a Black church, Butler A.M.E. Zion. " National Park Service notes that this school had just 37 students. No matter that the school was in a shanty—Black pupils were so willing to learn that enrollment would increase despite challenges.
Finally, Washington was able to borrow funds from the treasurer of Hampton Institute, and he "purchased an abandoned 100-acre plantation on the outskirts of Tuskegee" (Tuskegee University, n.d.). Most individuals have learned how important Washington and his students were in literally building Tuskegee Institute from the ground-up. Tuskegee University sums this up: "Students built a kiln, made bricks for buildings and sold bricks to raise money. Within a few years, they built a classroom building, a dining hall, a girl’s dormitory and a chapel."
Washington wrote about this effort to make bricks, noting, "I had always sympathized with the 'Children of Israel,' in their task of 'making bricks without straw,' but ours was the task of making bricks with no money and no experience" (Washington, 1995). Even though the road to making bricks was paved with failures, there was finally a success—"Many white people who had had no contact with the school, and perhaps no sympathy with it, came to us to buy bricks because they found out that ours were good bricks" (Washington, 1995). Through this, Tuskegee Institute was not only earning money, but they were also illustrating to White individuals that African Americans were capable of doing more than just menial tasks—they could hold the same positions or do the same work as their White counterparts.
Even though Tuskegee Institute started with less-than-stellar beginnings, it burgeoned into a vital educational center for African Americans. By 1888, "the 540-acre Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute had an enrollment of more than 400 and offered training in such skilled trades as carpentry, cabinet-omaking [sic], printing, shoemaking and tinsmithing. Boys also studied farming and dairying, while girls learned such domestic skills as cooking and sewing" (Tuskegee University, n.d.). For creating an institution that would allow Black individuals to better themselves, Washington's societal contributions are immeasurable.
Washington's other contribution is that he believed, as Booker T. Gardner put it, in "training in industriousness" (Gardner, 1975). These industrial schools, much like Tuskegee that implemented training in skilled trades, would prepare individuals to hold jobs that, though labor positions, still required specific skills. This is reminiscent of modern-day trade occupations.
Another important contribution of Washington and Tuskegee Institute was the creation of the Jesup's Wagon, or the "Agricultural College on Wheels" (Gardner, 1975). Through the Jesup's Wagon, individuals were taught "the newest and best methods of farming" (Gardner, 1975). This was allowing everyone—even poor Southern farmers who were not students at Tuskegee—to discover more about agriculture.
Finally, another important contribution Washington made was realizing that education should not be difficult to obtain. National Park Service notes, "The goal was then to get the school on a labor basis so that they would not have to charge tuition." What is more, "Washington knew that charging the students would seriously limit enrollment because most blacks at this time were very poor" (National Park Service, 2012). Thus, instead of limiting the number of students by charging outrageous tuition rates, Washington was dedicated to making education accessible even to less-fortunate students in an era before the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, extensive scholarships, and student loans. This contribution seems like one of Washington's most important, since it positively impacted the lives of numerous students and made education more readily attainable.
"Machine division in Tuskegee Institute." Credit: Library of Congress