About The Booker T. Washington Inspirational Network
The Booker T. Washington Inspirational Network was founded by one of Booker T. Washington's great granddaughters, Gloria Jackson. After meeting Eddie Huff at the Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., Gloria and Eddie joined forces to revive the vision and work of Booker T. Washington. After a few months of prayer, discussion, and planning the Booker T. Washington Inspirational Network, Inc., BTWIN, was launched.
We believe that the life and legacy of Booker T. Washington have been too long overlooked and even misrepresented to the detriment of our great nation.
It is the life and legacy of this exceptional man that causes us in the early part of the 21st century, some 150 years after his birth and ninety years after his death, to consider his vision for racial and economic advance. A vision that causes us to revisit his deep spiritual and economic wisdom and to believe that the liberating truth, of his words, is as applicable today for the progress of our race, or for any advancing race for that matter, as it was when it was first spoken many years ago.
We are convinced that understanding and successfully bringing this worldview back into the public view, appreciation and practice are essential in bringing our nation back to greatness.
There have been two failures of existing efforts to deal with the very serious issues facing at risk communities in America, particularly the black community. On the “Left” is “the soft bigotry of low expectations,” and on the “Right” is talking about those in the communities to those outside of the communities vs. talking with them in their communities. We understand in foreign missions that we must go there and reach them there, but for some reason here at home we expect people to just get it without “going in.”
The goal of the Booker T. Washington Inspirational Network is to form an alliance of thinkers, educators, writers, speakers, business persons, activists, entertainers and others committed to the vision and ideals of Booker T. Washington and, “going in.”
Through a new education model, speeches, articles, books, music, film and other avenues we hope to inspire, motivate and elevate a new generation of black Americans to follow in the precepts of this great man.
Our plan primarily targets three groups within these at risk communities.
I. Youth PreK through 12
II. Disaffected youth (dropouts) aged 1520
III. Adult Education
BTWIN is nonpartisan, and will not promote any particular political party's candidate or policies. We are about discussing issues and presenting solutions, particularly those affecting at risk communities in America. It is our opinion that America, despite its shortcomings, remains the greatest nation on earth and is chosen to be great for a particular purpose. That purpose is to be a light in the world. We also believe that "Black America" is not only instrumental, but an integral part of that greatness past, present and future and that as “Black America” and other at risk communities go, so goes this nation.
You may join our network by communicating with us, supporting us in prayer and financially, and by proclaiming the message of Booker T. Washington. The Booker T. Washington Inspirational Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax deductible.
About Gloria Jackson - Founder
Gloria is a great-granddaughter of Dr. Booker T. Washington and is the Founder and President of the Booker T. Washington Inspirational Network, Inc., BTWIN. It is Gloria's belief that it was not by accident that she was born into the bloodline of Booker T. Washington. She, instead, believes that it was a God given gift to provide her a platform from which to share with others the profound spiritual and economic wisdom and the liberating truth embodied in the words and actions of her great-grandfather. Though he was a man of his time, the principles that Booker T. Washington taught and lived by are as relevant today as they were a century ago.
An informal speaker for many years on the life and legacy of her great-grandfather, Gloria now speaks all over the country as she counters the often twisted and distorted view that many are taught about her great-grandfather in this politically correct age. In so doing, she exposes her listeners to the extraordinary grasp of freedom that her great-grandfather possessed so soon after the end of slavery. She explains that Booker T. Washington's work and his life of service provided us with a blueprint and a foundation to assist us to move forward into, not just the physical freedom afforded by the end of the Civil War, but into the full realization and expression of the promises of this country's Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He had a clear understanding that freedom can only exist within the realm of personal responsibility and individual initiative and that the author and giver of freedom is God.
Possessing a passion to challenge and inspire individuals to strive to live by the powerful values based ideals set for the by her great-grandfather including, family cohesiveness, hard work, educational excellence, economic strength and independence through free enterprise, all underscored by strong moral character and faith in God, Gloria encourages her listeners to turn away from and reject the oppressive and stifling intervention of massive government control over their lives. Whether, it's through public speaking or writing, her aim is to encourage others to use their God-given gifts and talents to build productive lives of which they can be proud and to understand that to act from a spirit of grievance or victimization is to simply volunteer to be re-enslaved. As our liberties are being challenged she encourages all to become reacquainted the founding documents of this country and to become apostles of freedom just as her great-grandfather was.
In April 2006, Gloria's book, co-authored with her cousin, Sarah Rush, Timeless Treasures - Reflections of God's Word in the Wisdom of Booker T. Washington, was released. The book was written as a tribute to their great-grandfather and his legacy and was released to correspond with the 150th year since his birth and the 125th year since he founded Tuskegee University.
In May 2007, Gloria was honored to become the first direct descendant of Booker T. Washington to deliver the commencement address at Tuskegee University.
Gloria holds a law degree from UCLA and she is an attorney and real estate broker. She currently resides in Los Angeles.
Gloria may be contacted at: Email or (323) 299-4470
About Eddie Huff - Executive Director
Eddie was born to a single German mother and a black American (GI) father, in post war Germany. He grew up between 2 worlds, at first in a small German village speaking only German. From this world, at the age of 7, he was transplanted to a completely different world, that of the projects of Philadelphia. Growing up as an African American child in the 60s Eddie would move back and forth from predominantly black environments to very integrated ones. He has, however, always considered himself a black American and counts it as a supreme privilege to share in this rich history.
As a freshman at Texas Tech University he became a black radical/Hippie accepting all of the late 60s early 70s leftist ideology. He was vice president of the Black Student Union at Texas Tech as well as president of the charter chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity there. It was not until his accepting Jesus Christ as his personal savior in El Paso, Texas, one month after his graduation that Eddie began to see the world in a new way and begin on a new path with a new vision.
Eddie Graduated from Texas Tech in 1973 with a B BA in management.
From 1976-1978 Eddie attended Melodyland School of Theology in Anaheim, CA, in their M. Div. program and is a licensed minister.
From 1981 to 1992 Eddie with his wife Vickie and 4 children served as missionaries with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Eddie was director of Musicians for Missions in Amsterdam, Holland from 1981-84, then became director of the Augsburg, Germany YWAM base, leading Discipleship Training Schools and directing a Christian book distribution center providing Christian books and music to the U.S. Military throughout Europe and the Middle East. In addition to these duties Eddie spent extensive time in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa leading teams doing relief work, and teaching for Youth With A Mission bases there.
In his service with Youth With A Mission Eddie has spoken before thousands in Europe and Africa, as well as the United States.
In 1992 Eddie and family returned to the U.S. where he has been a financial services rep. with his own agency. He is a speaker and former owner of a Gospel recording Label. Eddie is a public speaker and has written hundreds of articles on public policy, socio-political, and spiritual themes.
Eddie May be contacted at: Email or (918) 808-8534. Also, listen to Eddie on the radio at KFAQ.com's Morning Show.
