Booker T. Washington Dines at the White House, Editorial Cartoon, 1901

On October 16, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt invited the esteemed Black educator and leader Booker T. Washington to dine at the White House. This meal marked the first time that an African American was invited to a formal dinner at the White House. This event sparked a national controversy.

Booker T. Washington was the president of what is now Tuskegee University in Alabama, and he was widely respected as a leader both in the field of education and race relations. He had been born into slavery in Franklin County, Virginia, during the 1850s. After the Civil War and emancipation, he graduated from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (now Hampton University). He later became the first president of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, where he emphasized vocational training alongside academic coursework. Washington was a powerful advocate for Black economic self-reliance and the gradual end of segregation, which appealed to many white Americans. Not all Black Americans, including historian and founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) W.E.B. DuBois, agreed with Washington's accommodationist approach, however.

President Roosevelt’s invitation was a gesture of goodwill and acknowledgement of Washington’s accomplishments. Roosevelt had become president just a few weeks earlier after the assassination of William McKinley. He invited Washington in hopes of soliciting advice on race relations and political appointments in the South. Roosevelt’s first month in office had been largely praised for his bipartisan approach. Of particular interest was the appointment of former Alabama Governor Thomas G. Jones to a federal judgeship—a decision that was made at least in part on the advice of Booker T. Washington.

Despite the private nature of the dinner, news about it spread quickly, eliciting a bevy of opinions. Many white southerners denounced the event. Roosevelt had previously hosted African American while he served as the governor of New York, and African Americans had attended events at the White House prior to this dinner. The intimate meal, and the tacit suggestion of social equality it suggested, however, led to a firestorm of controversy from some white Americans. 

Washington and Roosevelt recognized the uniqueness of the quiet meal, which was also attended by the president’s wife and daughter. However, neither anticipated the extent of national reaction through the press. President Roosevelt experienced heavy criticism, and Washington faced threats made to his life. Roosevelt acknowledged momentary hesitation in extending the invitation but said he felt shame in considering race as a factor in his decision. Booker T. Washington understood that accepting the offer would be controversial but could not refuse knowing what the moment could mean for his race.

The dinner and the explosive reaction had long-lasting repercussions. It remained a topic of public discussion and controversy for years, serving as an illustration of how deeply entrenched the social mores and racial prejudices in the U.S. at the time. Eventually, the event faded into obscurity, although U.S. Senator John McCain recalled the event in his concession speech on Nov. 4, 2008, the night that Barack Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States.

Citation: R. Duckhardt, “Go W-A-Y Back and Sit Down,” Richmond Times, October 20, 1901, p. 1.

Read the article about Washington's dinner with Roosevelt published in the Richmond Times online at Virginia Chronicle.

Preview Activity 

Scan It:  Look at the image. Why is the South depicted the way it is? What do you think about the way Washington and Roosevelt are drawn?  Why is the ex-governor of Alabama in the window?

Post-Activities

Dig Deeper:  Find articles about the Roosevelt/Washington dinner in the newspaper database Virginia Chronicle. Examine how both Black and white newspapers from around the state responded to Roosevelt’s dinner with Booker T. Washington.

Be the Journalist: You are a journalist preparing to sit down with these men. What are the three questions you would most like to have answered? Why are these questions important?

 Food For Thought:  How would the event—and the reaction to it—be different if it had happened fifty years earlier?  How do you think people would have reacted to this event fifty years later? Do you think such an event would be newsworthy today? Why or why not?