African Americans have made groundbreaking contributions to science and innovation, so much so that we all continue to benefit in a lot of ways. Unlike Hawkins, Newton, Curie and Darwin whose names take centre stage on the topic, Black people remain on the fringes. Among a very long list of inspiring individuals are George Washington Carver, Mae Jemison, and Benjamin Banneker. Their achievements advanced their respective fields and made the sky the limit for others to follow.

George Washington Carver: The Innovative Agriculturalist

George Washington Carver (1864–1943), was an innovative agriculturalist and one of the most prominent scientists of the early 20th century. Born into slavery in Missouri, Carver was introduced to gardening at an early age and taught to read and write. However, he found the level of learning inadequate, so at around the age of 11, Carver went off to seek proper education. It was not until he was in his 20s that he eventually gained a high school education while working as a farmhand. In an effort to continue his academics, he applied to Highland College in Kansas, but was rejected when they realised he was Black. However, he found success in his application to Simpson College, where he studied art and piano before transferring to Iowa State Agricultural College. This is where he makes his first entry into the history books by becoming the first African American to receive a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science in 1894 and a Master of Science degree in 1896.

Carver’s achievements attracted widespread attention and job offers, one he could not refuse was from another iconic figure, Booker T Washington, President and principal developer of the Tuskegee Institute. Carver taught and conducted agricultural science research there for 47 years as part of an all Black faculty. The agricultural economy in the South had depleted, and the soil was exhausted from cotton, leaving Black Southerners in hardship. Carver wanted to find a solution that would liberate Black southerners and provide them financial stability. And that he did.

Carver conducted innovative research that was focused on crop rotation and soil restoration, introducing alternative crops like peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes to replace cotton in exhausted soils. He developed over 300 products from peanuts alone, ranging from dyes to plastics, helping struggling sharecroppers diversify their livelihoods and enjoy the same economic prosperity of the peak cotton era. His success earned him the nickname "The Peanut Man."

His work launched him into a global celebrity with his circle of friends including Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Ford and Mahatma Gandhi. He was, however, a very humble man, who often turned down invitations for work, most notably Thomas Edison who offered him an annual salary of more than $100,000. Carver also donated his life savings to the continuation of his research. He died at the age of 78 at the Tuskegee Institute.

Mae Jemison: The First Black Woman in Space

Dr. Mae Jemison made history in 1992 as the first Black woman to travel into space aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. A trailblazer in multiple fields, Jemison is a physician, engineer, and astronaut who has dedicated her life to science and education.

Jemison was born in 1956 in Decatur, Alabama, before moving to Chicago at age three with her family. She excelled academically, earning a scholarship to Stanford University and gaining degrees in chemical engineering and African-American studies. Her love for science and motivation to help people led her to Cornell University Medical College where she obtained a Doctorate in Medicine in 1981 at just 25, which gave her the credentials to serve as a Peace Corps medical officer.

She served in the Peace Corps for over two years in a number of countries that included Sierra Leone and Liberia working seven days a week and being on call 24 hours a day as a medical officer, whilst also researching vaccines for diseases such as Hepatitis B.

In watching Sally Ride become the first American woman to go to space in 1983, it culminated her love of the Universe and inspiring her to do the same. That opportunity came in 1987, when she joined the NASA astronaut programme, in itself a historical moment by being the first Black woman to do so. Jemison was just one of fifteen selected from over 2000 applicants.

Jemison was part of the STS-47 crew as mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. On September 12, 1992, after rigorous training, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space, alongside six other astronauts. During her eight-day mission aboard Endeavour, Jemison conducted over forty experiments on life sciences and materials processing.

She left NASA the following year and went on to establish The Jemison Group and The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, promoting STEM education through initiatives like "The Earth We Share" science camps.

Benjamin Banneker: Astronomer & Surveyor

Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806) was an astronomer, mathematician, inventor, and abolitionist. Born free on a farm near Baltimore, Maryland, Banneker taught himself astronomy by observing the stars and mathematics through a copious amount of borrowed books. In 1752 while in his twenties Banneker famously built America’s first wooden clock that kept perfect time for decades. The clock drew many visitors in rural Maryland who came to marvel at the wooden wonder.

Banneker was encouraged by his mentor George Ellicott an amatuer astronomer and land surveyor, to study astronomy. Banneker took to it quite proficiently making precise astronomical calculations, including predicting a solar eclipse to take place in 1789.

He also began to write and publish almanacs, which combined scientific data with practical advice for farmers which would forecast weather patterns that helped them with their crops.

In 1791, George Ellicott's cousin Andrew Ellicott was appointed by Thomas Jefferson to survey an area to become the new federal district. Ellicott led a team that included Banneker to conduct the survey to establish what is now the District of Columbia. Banneker's duties on the survey consisted primarily of making astronomical observations and calculations to establish base points for the district, playing a key role in the layout of the nation's capital.

As an abolitionist, Banneker would often write advocating for the end of slavery. He used his achievements to send a letter and a copy of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson urging the abolition of slavery.