Booker T. Washington rose from his slavery beginnings to become a national leader in education and civil rights. Beginning his career as a teacher and developing into a renowned speaker, Washington's influence is still felt today through Tuskegee University, which he originally founded. Additional features to aid comprehension include a table of contents, informative captions and sidebars, a phonetic glossary, a time line, a Think-About-It section, and an index.