Annie Jean Baker Reed

Annie Jean writes that her great-grandfather was one of Booker T. Washington’s “Humble Friends”.  Dr. Washington’s major strength that helped him build the college was his ability to respect and relate to people from all walks of life — from wealthy East Coast donors to White political leadership in Tuskegee to local rural area Black farmers.

Annie relates that family lore has it that Dr. Washington would ride or walk to meet her grandfather in the countryside, and they would sit under a tree and talk about farming and sing gospel hymns. Many of the farmers Dr. Washington befriended made gifts to the college or community, such as land the college’s Rosenwald Schools initiative or supported the college’s outreach programs to the community, such as Dr. George Washington Carver’s agricultural work with local farmers.

Annie also writes about the special relationship she had with her Black father and laments that many of the current day Black girls that she worked with in the education system had not had that experience.