Descendant of Booker T. Washington Signs Autobiography In Oakland

Oakland resident and great-granddaughter of civil rights leader Booker T. Washington will be signing her autobiography and new book today at a private event at the home of Alameda County Treasurer Donald White.

The signing will begin at 2 p.m. at 11351 Greenbrier St. in Oakland and continue until 5 p.m.

The autobiography is the story of Sarah Washington O’Neal Rush, the last born of Booker T. Washington’s grandchildren. Washington O’Neal Rush was an at-risk child who grew up near poverty in Oakland.

She did not rise above her circumstances until she learned how her great-grandfather rose above slavery to become the founder of Tuskegee University and a famous educator.

Washington O’Neal Rush now works to empower, among others, urban youth to see that they too rise up to create their own success story, her spokeswoman Julie Waters said.

She has earned a bachelor’s degree in business, a master’s degree in psychology and spent 16 years working in corporate America. She now runs Extraordinary Legacy, a network for empowering others, and she’s an associate professor at Argosy University, Waters said.

This year marks 100 years since her great-grandfather’s death and 150 years since the end of chattel slavery in America.

The autobiography, titled “Rising Up From the Blood: A Legacy Reclaimed, A Bridge Forward,” is available at online at http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com.

Autographed copies are available at http://www.extraordinarylegacy.net.

--Bay City News

--Images courtesy of Amazon.com

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