Conferences, Events & Appearances

April, 2007 - The Society's Celebrate BTW '07 Conference was held April 12-15 in the Washington DC area. Students from several New Orleans public high schools joined in panel discussions, workshops and banquets and visited George Washington's Mt. Vernon Plantation, the AA Soldiers of the Civil War Memorial and the International Spy Museum. (Read their comments here)

December, 2006 BTWS Co-founder Ron Court flew to New Orleans to see for himself what Katrina wrought and to personally offer BTW Society Ambassador Scholarships to students there who would accept his challenge to enter the Society's Essay Contest. He met with teachers, administrators and students in six high schools over two days and subsequently delivered over 200 copies of Up From Slavery and Character Building to those schools. (While there, a guidance counselor graciously lent him his FEMA trailer to stay in.)

June, 2006 BTW Society Co-Founder Ronald Court delivered a commencement address to the 2006 Graduating Class of Booker T. Washington High School in Terre Haute, Indiana.

May, 2006 The Memorial Day Parade in Essex Junction, Vermont chose "Honoring History" as its theme for 2006. Members of the BTW Society entered a "float" featuring the New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church Chorus and music team singing spirituals and hymns from "way back in the day."

April, 2006 The nation's first 3-Day Sesquicentennial Celebration honoring the birth of Dr. Washington was held in our Nation's Capital by the newly-formed Booker T. Washington Society as its inaugural "Celebrate Booker T" event.

    This 3-day Celebration/conference was an unforgettable experience for high school students from around the country as well as for each Ambassador's accompanying parent or mentor/teacher. Together, they met and mingled with nationally-known speakers and authors who discussed the impact--then and now--of Dr. Washington's legacy and values in panel discussions and debates. It was the height of the Cherry Blossom Festival, so naturally, a tour of Washington DC was included.

One highlight of Celebration was the presentation of scholarships to the Booker T. Washington Ambassadors, for whom the Celebration (indeed the Society) was conceived. Each student attending, representing their Booker T. Washington High School, received a Society Scholarship to further their post-high school education.

This 1st celebration concluded with the announcement of the creation of the Society's Annual Wright Award to recognize individuals who have worked tirelessly to keep the flame of Booker T. Washington's life and legacy alive.