Booker T. Washington was an influential African American educator, author, and leader in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into slavery in 1856, he became a prominent advocate for vocational education, believing that practical skills would help African Americans achieve economic independence. He founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which focused on training students in trades and agriculture. Washington was also known for his philosophy of accommodation, which encouraged African Americans to accept segregation and work within the existing social system to improve their circumstances. His famous Atlanta Compromise speech in 1895 emphasized the importance of education and economic progress over immediate civil rights.