35. Booker T. Washington
For the 25 years between 1890 and 1915 Booker T. Washington was the visual and vocal leader of the African American community within the United States. Born into slavery, he rose to be an adviser of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and his successor, William Howard Taft. The author of 14 books, Washington found himself under strong criticism from the newly formed NAACP, who wanted a more virulent action over civil rights. Washington was the first president of what eventually became Tuskegee University. His autobiography Up From Slavery, was first published in 1901, and remains popular in the 21st century.
