There is on one hand negotiating and on the other active leadership and in the hall of fame of the great black leaders for decades, George Washington Carver was an active leader. His approach was not the type that sought to impress the public or make a name for himself. His aim was not to start a movement or achieve a violent change or confrontation, though those things are sometimes necessary.
Instead, George Washington Carver showed leadership by making contributions to the well-being of his people. His spirit of self-sacrificing is an encouragement to all people of any race, religion, or color.
George Washington Carver is probably best known for his discovery in the field of nuts. And while it is true that Carver was honored with more than 300 archeological discoveries for new uses of the common nut, his innovations did not end there. He continued his research to find important uses for other agricultural products such as sweet potatoes, pecans and soybeans.
George Washington Carver really held the hands of his people where they were then and led them to a better life. And where black society existed in around nineteenth century was agriculture. This is where the black family looked at their food, their lives and the opportunity to improve themselves. That what George Washington Carver has made possible.
He was a versatile man of all means, determined at a young age to get a better education, he set an example in all that education was a means of freedom for his people and for all people. He really had to struggle to achieve his success as he continued his high school education and then went to Simpson Collage in Iowa where he was a first and only black student and then went on to Iowa Agricultural College.
His success at Agricultural College stemmed from his determination and ability to use his natural ingenuity to succeed in all endeavors. But his success story was short-lived, to introduce ideas such as crop rotation in southern agriculture that changed the way farming could be done and gave his people the opportunity to make a real profit from their daily work.
As he found success in his private ministry, he did not use his wealth to gain riches for himself. Instead, he wanted his work to benefit the entire mankind. He was quoted as saying about his talents, “God has given me. How can I sell it to someone else? ”
These were not empty words because he lived up to that philosophy, as evidenced by donating the money he had saved to start the Carver Research Foundation in Tuskegee to ensure the existence of an institution to continue his important work in agriculture. Not surprisingly, a vivid memory recorded in his tomb read: “He added to the riches of fame, but by neglecting it, he gained joy and fame by being useful to the world.”
The legacy of George Washington Carver will set a precedent for black leadership for decades to come. It was a legacy of slave leadership, caring for his people and making a real contribution to the development that really mattered, to the standard of living and well-being of all African Americans, not just the lucky few. He is indeed an inspiration to all of us and is a symbol of celebrating as the brightest and brightest leader in black history.
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