Past Highlights & Conferences

(August 2-5, 2010) - Pres. Ronald Court flew to Oakland, California to meet Dr. Ben Chavis and his middle school students at the American Indian Public Charter School (AIPCS).
Dr. Ben Chavis is the Founder and first Principal of the school, and also author of his autobiography, Crazy Like A Fox. Dr. Chavis is an enthusiastic supporter of Booker T. Washington's methods and points to the rapid climb in his school's rankings as proof of their validity today.

(July 20, 2010) - The transaction took place in broad daylight in the middle of a New Jersey parking lot, but there was nothing clandestine about it. Artist Peter Ambush presented Ron Court with his gracious donation of an oil painting he did of Booker T. Washington.

(July 15, 2010) - East Orange NJ: Ron had lunch with Vanessa Jean-Louis, an extraordinary singer and blogger he met while attending the Frederick Douglass Foundation's Annual Meeting in Washington DC several months ago. For her interesting and incisive 'take' on today's events, visit her blog.

Ron spent the day in NY City with Herman Amos, a fan of both Booker T. and Theodore Roosevelt. They travelled to the historically famous Abyssinian Baptist Church, once pastored by Adam Clayton Powell Sr., and who declared that Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee-trained masons were the only ones he could find with the skills to do the work. Mr. Amos introduced Ron to Training & Recruitment specialist, Mr. Hector Torres, President of HLT Occupational & Training Services. He, with Mr. Amos, are organizers and charter members of the Booker T. Club of New York City.

July 4th, 2010 - Happy 4th of July from The Booker T. Washington Society

June 7-9, 2010 - Jennifer Faulkner, Executive Assistant to President Ronald Court, travelled to DC to attend the Public Relations School at The Leadership Institute, The Public Relations School, encourages people to maximize their "Media Mindset." Topics include: Writing an effective press release, Building valuable media relationships, and creating attention-grabbing media events.
Photos of DC from Jennifer's Trip

October 14, 2008 - President Ronald Court spoke at a breakfast forum of the Lincoln Institute for Research & Education, hosted by Mr. J. A. (Jay) Parker at the University Club in Washington DC. Mr. Court discussed the life and legacy of Booker T. Washington and focused on the lessons his philosophy has has for us all today. For info: click here.

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 President Ronald 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.

A highlight of the 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.