Photo: Library of Congress
Tina Dudley, in honor of Black History Month
George Washington Carver served as head of the Agriculture Department at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), where he taught agriculture and botany. His work in soil rejuvenation and crop rotation were hugely impactful. While he is famous for his research in food science, in particular his bulletin for 105 recipes using peanuts, his true legacy is much greater.
George Washington Carver, seated front center, with fellow faculty of Tuskegee Institute in 1902, photograph taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston. Source: Library of Congress.
Carver was one of the first scientists to look at systems through the lens of biomimicry; he observed that nature produces no waste – what is consumed is returned to the earth in another usable form. He saw the interconnectedness of nature and taught about the importance of protecting the earth and its inhabitants.
He felt connected to nature throughout his life, and had a deep appreciation for birds and other wildlife. “The singing birds, the buzzing bees, the opening flower, and the budding trees all have their marvelous creation story to tell each searcher for truth . . . from the frail little mushroom, which seems to spring up in a night and perish ere the morning sun sinks to rest in the western horizon, to the giant redwoods of the Pacific slope that have stood the storms for centuries.”
Mark D. Hersey, in “My Work is That of Conservation: An Environmental Biography of George Washington Carver,” describes how Carver’s work in agricultural science helped to undermine the pillars of Jim Crow. At that time, Southern landowners leased land to Black farmers for a fee or a cut of the crops, and one bad season could result in ruinous debt. Carver shared free information with farmers about how to make a sustainable life out of the land, through crop rotation and composting. That was the reason for the peanuts – which thanks to their symbiotic relationship with bacteria can produce their own nitrogen and thrive in depleted soils. Peanuts could also be grown in the same fields as cotton due to different growing seasons.
Carver demonstrated the connection between the health of the land and the health of the people living on that land – setting an important foundation for environmental justice. His rise from slavery to academic acclaim has inspired millions. He is celebrated with a National Monument in Missouri and numerous books and documentaries about his life. Check out this free-to-watch documentary about his life to learn more.