The Infrastructures of Inclusion: Comparing Booker T. Washington and Syed Ahmad Khan's Social Reform Strategies

• In Event: Race, Religion, and Nationalism: Symbols and Action in Education History

Abstract

This paper examines the transformational leadership (TL) of two historical educationists and social reformers-Booker T. Washington, and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the 19th century US and British India respectively. They instrumentalized education for ‘dismantling racial injustice and constructing educational possibilities for social and political inclusion’ within their respective communities-African Americans and Indian Muslims. Employing a historical approach and transformational leadership as an analytical framework, this work critiques their educational approaches, social and political philosophies, and institutional interventions. It argues that both Washington and Syed championed education as a transformative tool for empowering their communities. Despite confronting criticism, their perspectives on education's role in undoing racial injustice through economic empowerment remain relevant and significant in contemporary times.

Authors

• Muhammad Arif Khan, University of Houston

• Yali Zou, University of Houston