OAKLAND (BCN) – Oakland resident and great-granddaughter of civil rights leader Booker T. Washington will be signing her new book, an autobiography, at an event today at the home of Alameda County Treasurer Donald White.

The signing runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at 11351 Greenbrier St. in Oakland. Interested readers should contact Julie Waters to R.S.V.P. at 510-409-9921, or send an e-mail to juliewaters99@gmail.com. In lieu of an entry fee, guests are encouraged to purchase a copy of the book.

The autobiography, Rising Up From the Blood: A Legacy Reclaimed, A Bridge Forward, 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 in business, a master’s 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 book is available for purchase online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Autographed copies are available at Extraordinary Legacy.