Especially for Educators
Booker T. Washington was (and still
is) a controversial figure on the scene of American education. In spite of
the controversies surrounding his philosophy and methodology, however, his
accomplishments in the field of education deserve recognition and appreciation.
Significant accomplishments include the following:
-
At the age of 25, Washington became president of the newly-founded Tuskegee Institute.
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Washington successfully recruited
of some of the most skilled African-Americans of the era to form a respected
faculty.
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Washington emphasized the value of
a good work ethic, maintaining that knowledge was meaningless unless an
individual had a mind to use it in a way that benefitted society.
-
Washington expanded the number of
educational opportunities available to African-Americans.
-
Washington successfully earned corporate
support for private educational endeavors.
-
Washington was a primary voice behind
the industrial education movement that would cross racial lines and equip
individuals from diverse backgrounds with the skills they needed to make
a sufficient living.
-
Washington's Tuskegee Institute provided
a model for effective character training curriculum within the academic setting.
(Besides practical and basic academic skills, Washington instilled honesty,
responsibility, perseverance, creativity, respect and other character traits
in students.
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