News Release

Booker T. Washington NM commemorates the 130th anniversary of the speech that propelled Washington to national fame

News Release Date: September 10, 2025
Contact: Abbi Smithmyer, 540-682-0173

Hardy, Va— On Thursday, September 18, 2025, Booker T. Washington National Monument will commemorate the 130th anniversary of Washington’s speech that propelled him to national fame, the opening speech at the 1895 Cotton States and Industrial Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia.

A special program at 12:30 PM will feature a 1908 recording Washington made of the speech. Rangers will examine how Booker T. Washington gained a place onstage, the meaning behind his message of racial cooperation and industrial education, why his speech received immediate acclaim across the nation, and how it cemented his legacy within the long Civil Rights Movement.  

The program begins on the back porch of the visitor center and includes a short walk through the historic core of the park to explore how this landscape shaped his childhood and later fame.

The program is free and open to the public and is subject to change. For more information, contact the Booker T Washington National Monument Visitor Center at 540-682-0173.

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