Booker T. Washington National Monument

Booker T. Washington National Monument "There is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem." -Booker T. Washington In April 1856, Booker T. Come explore his birthplace.
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Washington was born a slave on the 207-acre farm of James Burroughs. After the Civil War, Washington became founder and first principal of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial School. Later as an adviser, author and orator, his past would influence his philosophies as the most influential African American of his era.

Booker T. Washington National Monument will commemorate the 161st anniversary of the emancipation of Booker T. Washingto...
06/01/2026

Booker T. Washington National Monument will commemorate the 161st anniversary of the emancipation of Booker T. Washington with special anniversary programming, musical performances, and activities on June 19-21, 2026.

This commemorative event begins on Friday, June 19, with a series of guided programs and activities that highlight Washington’s enslaved childhood on the Burroughs plantation and the importance of emancipation to Washington and to the nation.

On Saturday, June 20, bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the day-long Celebration of Freedom Gospel Concert, which will begin at 11 a.m. Performers include Michael Boone, Sonny Brown Xperience, The Napper Singers, Perkins & EnVision, Larnell Starkey & The Spiritual Seven Gospel Singers, Pastor Milton Hardy Jr., and the Joy Bells. Food vendors and family-friendly activities will also be available.

The event concludes on Sunday, June 21 with a series of guided programs and presentations that discuss the importance of freedom and honor the life and legacy of Booker T. Washington.

All programs are free and open to the public but may be subject to change. For a detailed schedule of events and additional information, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/bowa/planyourvisit/annual-commemoration-event.htm or contact Booker T. Washington National Monument at (540) 682-0173.



Image: A group of people sitting under a large tent listening to musical performances.

Did you know that Booker T. Washington fought back against segregation policies? One example is his 1914 call for a nati...
05/07/2026

Did you know that Booker T. Washington fought back against segregation policies? One example is his 1914 call for a national “Railway Day.” He rallied Black leaders to confront the racial inequality on railcars. Although this effort failed to bring major changes to railroad segregation, his action parallels later civil rights activism.

In 1961, over 400 Freedom Riders rode Greyhound buses to challenge the discriminatory travel laws around segregated public transportation. They were met by white supremacists who attacked them. In response, Attorney General Robert Kennedy petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to desegregate public transit. This passed that November. A movement that Washington helped start decades prior was finally realized. You can explore Freedom Riders National Monument in Alabama to learn more about the history of Civil Rights and public transit.



Image: Black and white photograph of a large crowd including individuals standing on railroad cars to hear Booker T. Washington speak (Library of Congress).

Music has long been a way for Black Americans to build community and connect with African roots. Booker T. Washington re...
05/05/2026

Music has long been a way for Black Americans to build community and connect with African roots. Booker T. Washington recalled that during the Civil War, “there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual...Most of the verses of the plantation songs had some reference to freedom.” The songs Washington referenced were likely spirituals, which combined Christianity with African rhythm.

Freedom gave African Americans access to new instruments and techniques. Washington’s daughter, Portia Washington Pittman, mixed spirituals with the classical music once barred from Black musicians. Spirituals evolved into Blues and Jazz. The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park in Louisiana commemorates this movement and the people that made it possible. This includes Washington’s grandson and jazzman, Booker Pittman.

Image: "The Fabulous Booker Pittman" album cover. Pittman is pictured playing a soprano saxophone on a blue background (Everest Record Group).

Did you know Booker T. Washington had an older brother named John? As enslaved boys, both brothers had to wear flax shir...
05/01/2026

Did you know Booker T. Washington had an older brother named John? As enslaved boys, both brothers had to wear flax shirts. Booker said wearing his shirt felt like “a dozen or more chestnut burrs, or a hundred small pinpoints, in contact with his flesh.” John protected his younger brother from this pain by wearing his shirt for several days until it was “broken in.”

John also helped pay for Booker’s education at Hampton Institute. Booker repaid the favor after graduating by helping John go to Hampton. Years later, John joined Booker at Tuskegee Institute. He oversaw the construction of campus buildings and agricultural operations. As Tuskegee grew, John became one of Booker’s advisors and helped run the school when Booker was absent on his frequent fundraising trips.

Who in your life has helped you overcome challenges and grow into the person you are today? Let us know in the comments below.

Image: Black and white photograph of John Henry Washington with a full beard wearing a suit jacket and tie.

African Americans were still denied many rights despite the passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments. Congress therefore ...
04/27/2026

African Americans were still denied many rights despite the passage of the 13th and 14th Amendments. Congress therefore passed the 15th Amendment, which prohibited the disenfranchisement of voters “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

While the 15th Amendment granted political agency to adult male citizens, states began instituting voter qualifications to disenfranchise African Americans. Because of these restrictions, many African Americans and some poor whites lost the right to vote. During the early 1900s, Black leaders like Booker T. Washington fought to close these loopholes. Despite their efforts, many of these problems remained unresolved until the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.



Image: A black and white Harper’s Weekly newspaper cover page by illustrator Alfred Waud titled "The First Vote," which shows a line of African American men casting their vote (Library of Congress)

While the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States, neither of them grante...
04/24/2026

While the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States, neither of them granted citizenship to newly freed Black Americans. To solve this, the 14th Amendment was ratified in July 1868. It granted citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized in the United States” and provided these people with “equal protection under the laws.”

The 14th Amendment also forbade states from making laws that deprived U.S. Citizens “of life, liberty, or property, without due process of the law.” Ironically, this amendment excluded Native Americans of citizenship. Nevertheless, the 14th Amendment helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.



Image: A black and white cartoon by Thomas Nast showing Columbia handing the Civil Rights bill to the hands of an African American (Library of Congress)

Slavery existed in the United States despite the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. To fix this, Congress...
04/20/2026

Slavery existed in the United States despite the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. To fix this, Congress passed the 13th Amendment in January 1865 and ratified it that December. The new amendment read: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Each of the former slaveholding states was required to ratify this amendment in their state constitutions.

The 13th Amendment formally ended all involuntary servitude in the United States, except for its use for penal labor. During the Jim Crow era, this loophole allowed states to exploit the justice system and create another form of bonded labor—especially against African Americans. Black leaders like Booker T. Washington fought against this injustice throughout the early 1900s.



Image: A wood engraving from the Harper's Weekly magazine depicting the House of Representatives passing the 13th Amendment (Library of Congress)

In March 1865, Congress passed a bill that created the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands to aid newly fr...
04/17/2026

In March 1865, Congress passed a bill that created the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands to aid newly freed African Americans. The Freedmen’s Bureau provided food, clothing, and shelter to freedmen and white refugees. It also negotiated labor contracts and provided medical, legal, and marriage services.

For many newly freed African Americans like Booker T. Washington, the bureau’s most enduring legacy was the creation of schools. By 1870, the bureau supported over 1,500 schools that provided education to over 100,000 freedmen. Although Washington did not attend a Freedmen’s School, he continued the bureau’s legacy in advocating for education and civil rights for other Black Americans.



Image: Black and white sketch by artist James E. Taylor of African American men, women, and children standing in line to receive rations from a white Federal officer of the Freedmen's Bureau (Library of Congress)

In 1863, the United States War Department began recruiting African American soldiers to fight in regiments of U.S. Color...
04/13/2026

In 1863, the United States War Department began recruiting African American soldiers to fight in regiments of U.S. Colored Troops (USCTs). While some USCTs lived in free states, many were formerly enslaved people who returned to the South to fight for freedom.

USCTs faced several obstacles. They were paid less than white soldiers of equal rank and there were no African American commissioned officers. USCT troops were always led by white officers. Many doubted the abilities of Black troops in battle but USCTs proved many wrong. USCT regiments were among the first U.S. troops to enter the Confederate capital of Richmond. An entire corps of USCTs was present at Appomattox Court House National Historical Park on April 9, 1865. They helped end the war and secure freedom for millions of African Americans like Booker T. Washington.



Image: Black and white image of Sergeant John Peck, 8th USCT in his federal uniform. Peck was present at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. (Image courtesy of the Ron Rittenhouse Collection)

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12130 Booker T Washington Highway
Hardy, VA
24101

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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