Virginia Historical Society Podcast

On February 5, 2009, Dr. Norrell delivered a talk on his book, Up from History: The Life of Booker T. Washington. In his compelling new biography, the first full-length life of Booker T. Washington in a generation, Robert J. Norrell recreates the broad context in which the African American leader worked to overcome past exploitation and present discrimination. Although Washington has often been disparaged since the 1960s, Up from History details the positive power of his vision to invoke hope and optimism. On February 5, 2009, Dr. Norrell reinstated this extraordinary historical figure to the pantheon of black leaders. Robert J. Norrell teaches history at the University of Tennessee. (Introduction by Paul A. Levengood)