I learned about Tuskegee Institute in elementary school, but did not grasp the inspiring story behind the place until my first visit there: Two men spent their lives dedicated to the betterment of their people and their region. The most striking thing about Tuskegee Institute, at first glance, is the buildings that make up the campus. I was overwhelmed by all the gorgeous, rich, red brick and white trim buildings in different architectural styles. I learned that the students and faculty made the brick from Alabama clay and built many of the buildings themselves. Booker T. Washington, a former slave, came to Tuskegee in 1881 as its first principal. He was only 25 and, in the face of the unbelievable dangers of the racist South, spent the rest of his life dedicated to the school. He believed self-sufficiency should be learned along with a scholarly education, and students had to learn practical skills that they could take back to their communities, such as farming, carpentry, brickl...
