As a child born into slavery on a small Virginia plantation, Booker T. Washington was made to carry books for the plantation owner's children when they walked to school. His dedication to education began there. I had the feeling that to get into a schoolhouse and study in this way would be about the same as getting into paradise, he wrote in his autobiography. Washington faced difficult circumstances to obtain his education and then went on to help establish the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, a school for blacks in the midst of the Deep South. This informative volume uses accessible language and meaningful illustrations to draw readers into the incredible story of Washington's life on the plantation and his struggles to survive after the Civil War. The edition also covers his influences, mentors, and detractors, and discusses the challenges Washington faced as a pioneering educator trying to improve opportunities for African Americans.