On July 4, 1881, the Tuskegee Normal School for Colored Teachers was formally established in Tuskegee, Alabama. Founded in a one?room shanty by Booker T. Washington, it began with 30 adult students and a mission to advance vocational education for African Americans. Washington later became principal, pioneering a model that emphasized self?help, racial uplift, and industrial skills—a blueprint for Black advancement during the Jim Crow era. The anniversary date aligned with Independence Day symbolism, linking true educational freedom to national ideals. The institution received coverage in contemporary Black and national newspapers, and is well documented in Tuskegee’s archives and Washington’s memoirs. blackwestchester.com
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