Who Is Booker T. Washington on ‘Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker’?

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker is the latest must-binge mini-series from Netflix. The series, which stars Octavia Spencer as the titular entrepreneur, shines a light on an unsung hero of American history and puts a fresh, modern spin on a turn-of-the-century tale. This show isn’t just entertaining, it’s educational.

The learning goes beyond Madam Walker, too, as the spotlight grows to encompass another major figure in American history: Booker T. Washington. This trailblazing activist is all over Episode 2, “Bootstraps,” and you get a real sense of just how important Washington was not only to the African American community, but to the American community. If you’re looking to learn more about this real life icon, here’s a basic history lesson.

Who is Booker T. Washington on Self Made?

Booker T. Washington is played by Roger Guenveur Smith on Self Made. You might remember him from way back in the day, playing Prof. Howard Randolph on A Different World. His film roles include playing Smiley in Do the Right Thing, Nate in American Gangster, Austin in Dope, and Isaiah in The Birth of a Nation.

As for Booker T. Washington’s role in Self Made, he’s introduced as a highly influential public figure. Madam C.J. Walker seeks his endorsement as a means to inspire the men of Indianapolis to invest in her factory. Things don’t go so well, though, and Washington (depicted as not exactly the most radical or forward-thinking activist) tears into Madam Walker for trying to lift Black women up before Black men have had the chance. It’s not a good look, Booker.

Who was the real Booker T. Washington?

Washington was born into slavery sometime around 1856 and during his life rose to great prominence, ultimately becoming one of the (if not the) leader of the African American community and movement during the late 19th/early 20th century. He served as an adviser to multiple presidents, including Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt invited Washington to dinner at the White House in 1901, making the slave-turned-author and organizer the first Black person to be invited to a White House dinner. This wasn’t new for Roosevelt, who frequently dined with Black guests while governor of New York. But it caused such a controversy from Southern politicians that subsequent presidents would not invite a Black guest to dinner for almost 30 years.

Washington earned that major invite after a lifetime of accomplishments. He was named the first leader of Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute in 1881, drew attention for his Atlanta address in 1895, founded the National Negro Business League in 1900, and published a number of works including the bestselling Up from Slavery in 1901.

As seen in Self Made, he was married to the college-educated Margaret James Murray, who also served as the president for the National Federation of Afro-American Women. And like in Self Made, Washington was friends with journalist Emmett Scott.

And as seen in Self Made, Washington was a controversial figure during his lifetime. He took the “go slow” approach towards civil rights, advocating for Black people to not fight for too much equality out of fear of scaring white people. He believed that African Americans should stick to “industrial education” and try to accumulate wealth, so as to prove to white people that Black people could run their own communities. This methodology rubbed many the wrong way, particularly Black activists advocating for liberal arts education and full, immediate equality under the law.

There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Booker T. Washington, and Self Made does a solid job of getting a conversation going. And as with the life of the real Madam C.J. Walker, the Netflix mini-series does take some liberties with Washington (mainly by focusing on his more controversial views). Who knows, maybe there’s a sequel series focusing on Washington in the cards?

You can stream all of Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker on Netflix now.

Stream Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker "Bootstraps" on Netflix