Dr. George Washington Carver, the most prominent Black scientist of the early 20th century, had it tough nearly all through his life, but as he noted, no one has the right to pass through the world without leaving a mark and he did exactly so.
Dubbed the “Black Leonardo” by Times in 1941, Carver doubled as a botanist and inventor and also helped poor Black farmers to grow alternative crops, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, to improve their quality of life.
As years of cultivating cotton significantly degraded soil nutrients, Carver, who was a crop rotation expert, suggested the growing of peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans – as they’re nitrogen-fixing plants – to help replenish soil nutrients. Through this method also, cotton yields significantly increased when the farms were converted back to their former purpose some years later, according to History.
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During the course of his career, Carver also created several products made out of peanuts, sweet potatoes and soybeans. He was a recipient of several awards including the Spingarn Medal from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1923. Carver was also the first African American to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1894.
Carver passed away on January 5, 1943. To celebrate his legacy, Face2Face Africa shares with you 10 of his most inspirational quotes:
