As grammar school progressed and I aged into my early teens, I became a voracious reader of newspapers, magazines and books. One book by an Oppenheim Fellow named Rackham Holt riveted my attention; it seemed I could not lay the book down. The name of this tome was, “George Washington Carver” published in 1943.
The story was of a baby boy born into a life where many black-skinned folks belonged to light-skinned owners who had bought these people. My adolescent thoughts were that animals like dogs and cats and farm animals are bought and sold but surely not people. But less than 2 centuries ago, human beings were bought and sold on U.S. soil.
Even today there are almost 30 million people enslaved throughout the world according to the 2014 ‘Borgen Project.’ The report adds that more than ½ of those counted as slaves are women and about 1/4th of the number are under age 18. Countries with the best ratings are Iceland, Ireland and the UK. The worst five nations with slavery are Mauritania, Haiti, Pakistan, India and Nepal. Some of these nations get financial aid from us. The United States is rated 134th of 162 nations.
Now back to George Washington Carver. His mother Mary was purchased for $700 by Moses Carver, a German immigrant on October 9th, 1835 from William P. McGinnis; she was 13 years of age. Mary gave birth to George in January of 1860 in Diamond Grove, MO at the height of the war between Missouri and neighboring Kansas. It was also when ‘The Missouri Compromise’ of 1820 was being tested. (The Missouri Compromise provisions allowed slavery in Missouri, exempting the state from ‘free soil’ above the 36?30’ parallel.)
Along with his mother Mary, baby George was kidnapped while George’s brother James was rushed to safety. Although George was eventually returned to Moses Carver and raised with his brother James, Mary probably died in captivity.
George and his older brother James were raised by Moses Carter and his wife Susan. Even as a little boy, George was interested in nurturing plants, watching them grow and produce buds and blooms; neighbors called him the ‘plant doctor.’ Although the boys wanted to attend school, the nearest school that would accommodate Black children was a shack about 10 miles distant. Attending school there for several years, George relocated to Fort Scott, Kansas and took up residence with a local family as a foster child. Leaving the city, he migrated to Minneapolis, KS and received his diploma there.
Being accepted at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, one of his professors encouraged George to attend Iowa State Agricultural College in Ames. He matriculated there in 1891, the first Black to attend the college. Graduating in 1894 and receiving a graduate degree in 1896, Booker T. Washington, President of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama invited Mr. Carver to become head of the Department of Agriculture at Tuskegee where he stayed for 47 years.
He won recognition for his research developments regarding crop rotation and soil conservation. He also won numerous awards including membership in The Royal Society of Arts in England. George Washington Carver died January 5, 1943 and is buried next to his dear friend, Booker T. Washington.
Over the past several weeks people who have made a real difference in our world have been featured in this column. The examples give validity to the concept that greatness transcends gender, race, economic and social standing. True achievement arises from the eyes, ears, lips, minds and hands of those who help their fellow beings while helping themselves. Greatness is judged, not by oneself, but by those who recognize and profit from the achievements of those who nudge their way into science, religion, culture or commerce.
Further encouragement is needed at every level: When will we stop using politically correct labels of names such as ‘African American’ rather than just ‘American’. When will we inspire couples to marry and create wholesome families rather than create new life based on random liaisons? When will we inspire youths to work for an education instead of filing a form that says, ‘free college?’ About half our citizens are unwitting slaves to the federal government.
