"Struggle and Triumph: The Legacy of George Washington Carver"

in the thousand dollar humanitarian award to dr. george washington carver renowned negro scientist I am Not sure that I am ready after splendid vacation but I wish to say also that I thank you from the depth of my heart I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour and every moment of our lives if we only tune in and remain so for George Washington Carver connecting with both God and nature began in this quiet Grove in Missouri his reflections here laid the foundation for his rise from humble beginnings to national prominence as a scientist educator and humanitarian I was born in diamond girl 4 sorry about the claws of the great Civil War in a little one-room log shanty on the farm of mr. Moses Carver the owner of my mother I have the bill of sale of my mother which shows that she was just a young girl when she was purchased in 1855 at about age 13 a young girl Mary had been purchased by Moses Carver she later gave birth to two sons James and George the harsh reality of George's childhood would leave a lasting impression there are some things that an orphaned child does not want to remember an orphaned child of a race that is considered inferior from every angle in fact a number of things we try to forget the things we try to forget are often the very things that shape our path in life George Washington Carver was born enslaved into a place and time plagued by guerilla warfare and outlaw gangs circumstances of his early years are murky but the tales he was told reflect these turbulent times and had a lasting impact on Carver's self-image my mother and myself were coolant and sold in Arkansas I was nearly dead with the whooping cough frail and sick mr. Carver sent a horse valued at $300 to purchase us back every effort was made to find my mother but to no avail Destiny's so fixed it that I should know neither father nor mother orphaned sickly of an outcast race how might such suffering affect a person's sense of self-worth haunt him through life despite these beginnings Carver's resolve and determination stayed strong while he was here under the care of Moses and Susan Carver later as he made his way to Kansas and Iowa reaching out for an education and finally in Alabama where he achieved prominence his perseverance left a legacy we can still marvel at today without a family of his own his struggle for belonging faced discouraging odds all my life I have risen regularly at 4 o'clock and have gone into the woods and talked with God science and religion and all of nature were inseparable from what he called the Great Creator his faith in both God and nature helped him endure the hardships he faced throughout his life day after day I spent in the woods alone alone there with things I loved most I gather specimens and study the great lessons nature is so eager to teach us all his knack for studying and healing plants brought him notoriety as the plant doctor among friends and neighbors learning from nature and teaching others came to define his mission in life good morning class so I looked at the sweet potato when I said sweet potato sweet potato what are you the sweet potato from a child I had an inordinate desire for knowledge nothing is so damaging as ignorance the knowledge Carver hungered for was not easy to come by it took self determination to seek an education in a state where it was once against the law even to teach blacks how to read or write following the Civil War Missouri began allowing blacks to be taught in public schools often segregated and all too often with limited resources young George was not welcome in the white only schooled in the community of diamond growth segregation and racial prejudice confronted Carver constantly throughout his lifetime in his search for learning in his work in his relationships yet time and again his resilience triumph over adversity mr. and mrs. Carver encouraged me to secure knowledge helping me all they could my only book was an old Webster's elementary spelling book I would seek the answer here without satisfaction I almost knew the book by heart my very soul thirsted for an education as we lived in the country no colored schools were available with no school and diamond that would accept him George decided to move from the Carver family farm to live in the town of Neosho he knew there was a school for black students that he could attend it took fortitude for a young boy to leave his home behind walking eight miles by himself in a country hostile even violent toward people of African descent this move from the Carver farm to Neosho was a turning point in his life here he experienced his first african-american teacher in the person of Stephen frost a man with little training who had learned to read just six years earlier in Neosho he found other african-american role models like Andrew and Mariah Watkins who gave him a home who helped build up his self-confidence aunt Mariah introduced him to her church congregation and help strengthen Carver's faith in God and she motivated George to go out and teach his people instilling within him a sense of purpose and commitment to the black community learning all he could from frost Carver decided to reach out beyond his current circumstances he later recalled that this time at the school simply sharpened his appetite for more knowledge the schools for colored children in Kansas were better than the ones in Missouri left Watkins home for Fort Scott Kansas with a family who were moving out there in search of better educational opportunities George set out on his second new from home and into the unknown I walked much of the time as they were heavily loaded remained in Fort Scott until they lynched a colored man drugged him by our house and dashed his brains out onto the sidewalk as young as I was the horror haunted me and does even now I left Fort Scott and went to Olathe Kansas Olathe Kansas Paola Minneapolis Kansas City still wandering Carver seemed in search of both an education and a purpose for himself in the world in a place called poverty Gulch he managed to finish high school new friends encouraged his faith in God and finally in 1884 the thirst for knowledge gained the mastery and I sought to enter Highland College at Highland Kansas his application accepted he moved to Highland only to encounter more prejudice and another grave disappointment once they saw who he was was refused because of my color rejection like this often tested his character and challenged his hopes and dreams after a few years of homesteading Carver's Restless search led him to Winterset Iowa here newfound church friends encouraged him to pursue his artistic talents and persuaded him to enroll in Simpson College in Iowa here he lived simply even poorly attempting to run a laundry from my support I lived on prayer beef suet and cornmeal modesty prevented me from telling my condition to strangers Carver gained the respect of friends who accepted him into campus life I shudder to think what might have happened if Simpson had closed its doors when I came hungry and thirsting for an opportunity they made me believe I was a real human being my paintings are my souls expression of its yearning and question in its desire to understand the work of the Great Creator carvers art teacher miss Etta bud appreciated his love of nature but worried about his prospects of earning a living as a black artist aware of his passion for nature she encouraged him to pursue a degree in science instead he soon enrolled in Iowa Agricultural College in Ames where her father taught horticulture as the first african-american in the college's history he initially met with prejudice and intolerance at first he was denied housing in the dorms and was forced to eat in the basement with the hired help despite these challenges Carver pressed on his knowledge and love of plants coincided with the interest of such teachers as Luis pamel in a scientific approach to agriculture he was the best collector I ever had in the department or have ever known by 1896 Carver had become the first African American graduate and faculty member of Iowa State his hard work and accomplishments there brought him an offer that changed his life at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama Booker T Washington was promoting opportunities for blacks through education learning of Carver's work in the growing field of scientific agriculture Washington invited him to join the faculty at Tuskegee although Tuskegee was located in the deep south where Carver faced ever-greater racism and violence he was attracted by Booker T Washington's vision it has always been the one great ideal of my life to be of the greatest good to the greatest number of my people Tuskegee offered Carver new opportunities to share his knowledge in both the classroom and the field but the challenges ahead were formidable when my train left the golden wheat fields and the tall green corn of Iowa for the acres of cotton nothing but cotton by heart sank a little not much evidence of scientific farming everything looked hungry the land the cotton the cattle the people the heads of sharecropping and tenant farming had bound the black farmers to white landowners as well as to poor eroded soils simple tools and outdated techniques initially Carver's goal was to teach a more scientific approach using up-to-date methods and machinery he soon learned that the poverty of the farmers would keep them from getting modern equipment so his approach evolved to simpler means of conservation and crop rotation methods that were more easily within their reach what he arrived at Tuskegee Carver found a school still being built and an agriculture department waiting to be shaped I went to the trash pile of Tuskegee Institute and started my laboratory with bottles old fruit jars and any other thing I found that I could use as with all the difficulties he faced Carver pushed on over time his lab liked his experiments green in sophistication and in scope carvers new position brought him closer to achieving his vision of helping his people but the new position also brought with him obligations that he found frustrating Booker T Washington was running a large and complex institution and he expected Carver to administer the agricultural department and to oversee its daily operation Carver preferred experimenting and teaching rather than counting chickens writing milk reports and ordering supplies when it comes to the matter of managing you are wanting inability my work is of such a nature that I cannot do it without help yet despite bureaucratic disagreements the two men had profound respect for each other you are a great teacher a great lecturer a great inspirer of young men and old men that is your forte great ability and original research I shall always feel kindly to your work and shall continue to be loyal to Tuskegee and its interests kara spoke a language the poor farmer could understand through his Illustrated agricultural bulletins he showed them edible plants where others only saw weeds acorns and vines could become food for their animals wild fruits could be can than preserved fertilizers could be created from waste show me a poor lot of land and I'll show you a poor farmer I came here for the benefit of my people no other motive in view my idea is to help the man farthest down to drive home the idea of nature's bounty carver often focused on an individual crop in his experiments and his teachings the kelpie the sweet potato and most famously the peanut I do not know of any one vegetable that has such a wide range of food possibilities Carver's work with these crops led to byproducts beyond food dyes paints industrial products and medicines were all outcomes along with a massage oil for polio victims my last patient today was one of the sweetest little five-year-old boys who three months ago they had to carry in my room when I had finished the massage he walked across the floor without any support as a way of reaching out to farmers beyond the campus Booker T Washington began supporting Carver's supervision of farmer conferences as Carver carried his message into the countryside Washington expanded this outreach with greater funding I think your idea of fitting up a wagon to serve as a traveling agricultural school is a most excellent one Washington's and Carver's educational goals were in agreement this new Jessup wagon brought demonstrations of tools and techniques to thousands of area farmers tuskegee x' traveling school was so successful that it was adopted nationally by the US Department of Agriculture as part of its own outreach program George Washington Carver was becoming a nationally recognized teacher and researcher following Booker T Washington's death in 1915 Tuskegee continued to encourage Carver's tours to colleges and fairs Carver traveled widely to promote racial understanding with the sponsorship of the Commission on interracial cooperation and YMCA and yet he himself could never escape the legal segregation and more personal discrimination and racism that permeated American society a terrifying example of this brutality occurred years earlier in Ramar Alabama in 1902 Carver journeyed in the company of famous white female photographer Frances Johnston citizens were incensed a mob gathered in violent protest shouting murderous threats and firing guns in the air I had the most frightful experience of my life there and for one day and night it was a very serious question indeed as to whether I would return to Tuskegee alive or not as the people were thoroughly bent upon bloodshed I have never seen people so enraged even at the peak of his fame Carver like all african-americans endured Jim Crow discrimination and racism although invited to speak at hotels from Montgomery Alabama to New York City he was forced to use the servants entrance and was expected to eat in the kitchen with the hired help provided a ticket for a Pullman car he instead had a ride in a segregated coach nevertheless Karva continued to promote interracial understanding by his own example as well as his words fear of something is at the root of hate for others and hate within will eventually destroy the hater the fame and respect that grew from his work continued to spread his opinions on both agriculture and racial relations were often sought after in an era of great prejudice and even animosity towards blacks Carver seized a rare opportunity to participate in an official proceeding in the nation's capital alright mr. Carver we will give you ten minutes mr. chairman I have been asked by the United peanut growers association to tell you something about the peanut and about the possibility of his extension as an agricultural expert he had been called to support a tariff protecting southern peanut farmers from foreign competition and the peanut comes in I think as one of the most remarkable crops that we are all acquainted with a perfectly balanced ration but even in Congress we faced insults and racist remarks and the peanut do you want do you want watermelon to go with that Carver remained confident knowledgeable and inspiring of course if you want a dessert that comes in very well but you know that we can get along pretty well without dessert the recent Wars taught us that the committee was captivated and transformed by his manner and the depth of his knowledge it is an exceedingly valuable product is it not we are just beginning to learn the value of the peanut yes this is very interesting I think his time should be extended well of course you would have to have protection for them that is we could not allow other countries to come in and car rides away from us you have rendered the committee a great service go ahead brother your time is unlimited you have seen gentlemen just about half of the uses of the peanut I think is entitled to the thanks of the committee once again George Washington Carver faced derision and disrespect and rose above the struggle to a newfound triumph this testimony in Washington launched him onto the national stage and led to his being called the peanut man more importantly he became a powerful symbol of african-american potential and achievement he now stood as an inspiration to the nation as he promoted conservation of nature's resources as well as interracial cooperation he extended his work and public appearances through the Great Depression and into the beginning of World War two throughout his life he particularly appealed to young people who were drawn by his charisma his knowledge and his passionate spirit many continued to correspond with him through his later years including a group he often called my boys from the inspiration that you give to me I reached to higher heights than I ever thought Carver's love of nature his love of people and his spirituality continued to inspire others long after his death in 1943 as Booker T Washington once said George Washington Carver's greatest strength was as a teacher he exemplified the power of having a vision a determination to succeed and a mission to help others he taught through the way he lived and continued to achieve even in the face of prejudice racism and violence powerful messages he taught to the man farthest down and to those higher up one of the highest recognitions of his work came in the midst of World War two with America's troops as well as its societies still segregated by race Congress voted to honor his achievements by establishing the George Washington Carver National Monument ceremonies in 1953 dedicated the Carver farm in diamond Missouri as the first national park to honor an african-american no individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it through the examples of his struggles and his trials George Washington Carver has left us a legacy for learning and for living that bit further anyone gets away from themselves a greater will be their success in life you know self is a little bit of a theory that little word I terrible eye disease holiday worst I diseases that was ever known I should say their chief purpose of scientific training is to find truth you shall know truth and the truth shall make you free there is nothing more destructive to development than ignorance and ignorance is simply I don't know me sometimes it is wise not to look for too much appreciation the main thing is to be sure you're right and go ahead regardless of other people appreciate it all for the bit don't you

Channel: George Washington Carver National Monument

Views: 108,555

Rating: 4.8505602 out of 5

Keywords: National Park Service, Find Your Park, NPS100, Tuskegee University, African American History, Iowa State University, Simpson College, Agriculture

Id: kDMkAXHR2g8

Length: 28min 19sec (1699 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 20 2016