THERE IS GREATNESS IN EVERYONE
As a young African, we
already know about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, we read motivational books and we
find stories of people like Michael Dell of Dell Computers. All we were told
were stories of great inventors of Caucasian descent but never were we taught
our own history which affirms that black people are not inadequate but powerful
beyond measures and can compete in Medical, Mathematical, Automotive and
Technological disciplines with the very best.
We were not told of the
great story of Dr. Philip Emeagwali; an African, a Nigerian more precisely, who
invented the world’s fastest computer. He is referred to as “The Bill Gates of
Africa”.
Dr. Philip Emeagwali
If you own an automatic
car, the auto gear shift in your car was invented by an African, Richard Bowie
Spikes. He also developed the automatic safety Brake System, the horizontally
swinging Barber’s chair that we enjoy at our hair salons, and the beer keg tap
that helps control the serving of beer.
Richard Bowie Spikes
If you enjoy automatic
opening and closing mechanism of an
elevator door, then give kudos to one of our African heroes; Alexander Miles.
Alexander Miles
How many of you
understand that the transportation of perishable goods, ice blocks and ice
cubes would be but an unattainable dream if not for the small cooling units in our
cooling vans. Well, thanks to an African, Frederick McKinley Jones who invented
the cooling unit.
Frederick McKinley Jones
Who knows that ordinary
modern day letter box was invented by an African? Philip B. Downing
Philip B. Downing
Do you also know that lantern
was invented by another African – Michael C. Harvey?
Michael C. Harvey
In 1916, a group of
workers were trapped in a water intake tunnel, 50ft below Lake Erie, their
lives were all saved by an African inventor, Garreth Morgan. After witnessing
many accidents on the streets of America even though the first form of traffic
lights were already in use, Mr. Morgan’s improvement on the traffic lights was
what paved way to the great functionality of the traffic lights we all enjoy on
our roads today.
Garreth Morgan
Granville woods, an
African inventor patented the communications between train stations and trains
in transits in 1885. He was also honored for the invention of an egg incubator
and had total 50 patents during his life time.
Granville woods
When we all hear of the
history of man in space, we never hear of Africans; but do you know the truth? That
mission was accomplished because of the brilliance of three female African
mathematicians; Dorothy Vaughan, Katherine G. Johnson and Mary Jackson. Thanks to
the actresses who unveiled this story in a film called “HIDDEN FIGURES”.
Katherine G. Johnson (left), Mary Jackson (middle), Dorothy Vaughan (right)
Have you ever heard of
Otis Boykin, well he is an African whose invention continues to save millions
of lives daily. He improved upon the pacemaker, a device implanted in the body
to regulate the heartbeats.
Otis Boykin
These are just a few of
many great African inventors.
We must never forget
the brilliance of Black people but despite the great inventions of Africans,
one thing stood out, all these Africans carried out their genius work on foreign
soil and that is something to worry about.
The reason is simple,
as long as people in Africa still wake up to worry over what to eat, what to
wear, where to live, fleeing from war and how to meet up basic bills, it will
be very difficult to have people focus their mind on doing greater things other
than looking for daily bread.
I hope that able
Africans will someday be the leaders in African politics rather than the many
unqualified rulers we currently have.
No one was born to be a
criminal but the society made them so.
God has made everyone
equal and unique regardless of the color of our Skin.
Don’t matter if you are
BLACK, there is greatness in everyone.
God is always
wonderful.
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