Booker T. Washington: Black Leadership in the Age of Jim Crow (Library of African American Biography)

"Booker T. Washington: Black Leadership in the Age of Jim Crow" delves into the complex life and leadership of Booker T. Washington, a dominant African-American figure from 1895 until his death in 1915. Amid the harsh realities of the Jim Crow era, Washington emerged as a pivotal educator and race leader, advocating a strategy of economic and educational advancement in exchange for civil rights compromises. This biography, published on July 16, 2010, critically examines whether Washington's tactics made him a pragmatic visionary or a controversial figure appeasing white supremacy. Author Raymond W. Smock presents Washington as a tactical leader fighting a covert racial war, using his compromised yet practical strategies to navigate and counteract the severe racial injustices of his time. Ideal for adult education settings, this narrative encourages readers to explore themes of economic justice, racial justice, and education equity, prompting reflection on the balance between compromise and progress in the fight for social justice.