Booker T. Washington

November 15, 2019

|In Black History in Two Minutes (or so), Season 1

Be Woke Presents Black History in Two Minutes (or so)

In 1872, Booker T. Washington traveled 500 miles on foot to the Hampton Institute in Virginia. That journey, in turn, laid the foundation — not only for his own education — but his life’s mission to empower and compel black people to invest in industrial education.

Washington’s bright mind and forward thinking led him to become the principal and leader at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1881. He would go on to gain national notoriety as a lecturer and influencer. While the content of his speeches promoted black growth at its heart, it would be a speech in 1895, the “Atlanta Compromise,” that rattled many black followers.

In this episode of Black History in Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Farah Griffin of Columbia University, Shawn Alexander from the University of Kansas, Chad Williams of Brandeis University, Kimberlé Crenshaw of UCLA and Columbia law schools, and Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University — we honor the legacy of Washington. The celebrated orator and author’s contributions are still felt in society today, and he’s a visionary who recognized that investing in ourselves would lead to successes unseen.

Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a 4x Webby Award winning series.

If you haven’t already, please review us on Apple Podcasts! It’s a helpful way to for new listeners to discover what we are doing here: Podcast.Apple.com/Black-History-in-Two-Minutes/

Archival Materials Courtesy of:
Alamy Images
Getty Images
Library of Congress
The New York Public Library

Executive Producers:
Robert F. Smith
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Dyllan McGee
Deon Taylor

Produced by:
William Ventura
Romilla Karnick

Music By:
Oovra Music

Follow Black History in Two Minutes on Facebook

Follow Black History in Two Minutes on Instagram

Subscribe to Black History in Two Minutes Youtube Channel

‘Black History in Two Minutes’ is also available on Apple and Google podcasts.