Today's fact is about Benjamin Banneker.Benjamin Banneker was born to freed slaves in 1731. Banneker would become an astronomer, author, mathematician, inventor, and surveyor. He planned out the city or Washington D.C. He invented some of the best clocks of his time and published six almanacs. His outstanding knowledge of astronomy helped him greatly in publishing his almanacs. When he published the almanacs he included social and political commentary. Most of that commentary was advocating for civil rights for blacks and slaves. Racial equality advocates often praised and promoted the works of Banneker

ben
loading...

Banneker was essentially self-taught. He didn't have much of a formal education if at all. Pretty successful I'd say despite that.

On August 17, 1771, he wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson. The letter was a plea for justice for African Americans. In the letter, Banneker quotes the United States Declaration of Independence. Jefferson, who drafted the Declaration, was US Secretary of State at the time.

Banneker died Oct. 9, 1806, in his log cabin. His obituary said, "Mr. Banneker is a prominent instance to prove that a descendant of Africa is susceptible of as great mental improvement and deep knowledge into the mysteries of nature as that of any other nation."

and THAT is B Mo's Black History Month Fact of The Day!

 

 

 

More From WFHN-FM/FUN 107