By Sifelani Tsiko
Harare, Zimbabwe
(March 4 2007)
AS Africa celebrates
the legacy of Pan
African legend
Osagyefo Kwame
Nkrumah who guided
Ghana to
independence on
March 6 1957, the
first on the
continent, it is
also time for
African scientists
and inventors to
reawaken and push to
the highest limits
to enhance the
continent's
scientific and
technological
advancement.
The legacy of
Nkrumah should be
instructive and
educative to the
African scientists
about the man whose
prophetic speeches
and warnings on
Africa's future
continues to be
relevant 50 years
after he led Ghana
to its first
independence.
Without slavery and
colonial
subjugation, it is
clear that Africa's
story of scientific
innovation and
technological
advancement would
have been different
today.
Nkrumah had a vision
to move the African
continent forward
but this was cut
short because of
Western imperialism
and suspicious
African politicians.
Just like Africa's
20th
century political
heroes –Nkrumah,
Marcus Garvey,
Patrice Lumumba,
Sekou Toure, Julius
Nyerere and numerous
others fought for
the liberation of
the black man,
African scientists
must continually
pledge to the
continent's
development agenda.
Science and
technology is a
powerful weapon for
Africa to use to
overcome to some of
the negative
perceptions of
Africa.
During slavery and
the colonial era,
most black people
were denied formal
education and in
fact many laws were
passed to suppress
the academic
advancement of
blacks both in
Africa and the
Americas.
Blacks had limited
access to
mainstream, quality
education and
university training.
This meant that,
for the most part,
blacks were shut out
of professional
occupations and
confined to working
in industries deemed
acceptable for them,
such as domestic
services, labour on
farms and
plantations.
Against all odds, a
small number of
exceptionally
talented blacks were
able to obtain an
education and,
through their life's
work, made
significant
contributions to the
scientific and
technological
advancement of most
developed countries
today.
Most African
scientists who
became well known
for their intellect
and ingenuity had
their innovations
stolen by whites who
later gained
prominence for
innovations which
were never theirs.
Despite the
hijacking of their
fame and innovations
by racist whites who
never thought that
Africans could make
discoveries that
could prove to be
useful to mankind,
the truth is
emerging about the
achievements of
black scientists who
never made it to
most European
history books.
These early African
scientists had the
unmistakable stamp
of genius which has
made it very
difficult to erase
the quality of their
works and philosophy
into the dustbin of
history.
"The quality of
their works and
philosophy still
astonishes the
world. Since in a
world dominated by
slavers,
colonialists and
globalisers, the
occurrence of high
material or
intellectual value
in Africa is a
racial taboo,
questions that would
ordinarily require
research and
accurate reporting
were turned into
matters of furious
controversy," wrote
Ayi Kwei Armah in
article in 2006
justifying that
Acient Egypt's
achievements were
African.
Gibbs Magazine takes
hard eyed look at
some of the
achievements by
black scientists and
inventors, both at
home and abroad.
Because of racism,
Mary Seacole lost
the honour of the
best nurse during
the Crimea War in
Europe to Florence
Nightingale. Seacole
was a pioneering
black nurse and
carer who helped
wounded soldiers
during the Crimean
war of the 1850s.
Because of
prejudice, the
Jamaican born
nurse's fame was
lavishly poured on
Nightingale, whom
even Africans today
are forced to hero
worship her in the
nurses profession.
The 'Father of the
Internet' is
African. Nigerian
born computer
scientist and
Internet pioneer,
Phillip Emeagwali
was voted Africa's
greatest scientist
by the New African
for his work on the
supercomputer
development.
Emeagwali designed
the program and
formula for the
fastest computer on
earth, the
Connection Machine.
He designed the
system of parallel
computers that are
used by all search
engines, for example
Yahoo or Google.
After his
discoveries, various
supercomputers have
been developed which
perform computations
far faster and
cheaper as the
inevitable result of
his innovation and
improvement in
programming
techniques.
Ghanian scientist
and mathematician
Prof Francis Kofi
Allotey has also
made immense
contribution to
science for his 'The
Allotey Formalism' a
technique used to
determine matter in
outer space.
Renowned Zimbabwe
biochemist Prof
Christopher
Chetsanga discovered
two enzymes involved
in the repair of
damaged DNA. His
scientific
achievements
included the
discovery of :
Formamido-pyrimidine
DNA glycosylase that
removes damaged
7-methylguanine from
DNA (1979).
DNA cyclase that
recluses imidazole
rings of guanine and
adenine damaged by
x-irradiation
(1983).
Another well known
Zimbabwean
industrial chemist
Dr Robson Mafoti
made a breakthrough
and designed fascia
material which was
later used
successfully by
leading American
motor companies such
as MG, Chrysler and
Ford.
This became his
first patent and one
of his most prized
and enduring
innovations. He
holds more than 13
United States
patents for his
inventions in the
field of paints,
plastics, decorative
surfaces, sealants
and adhesives
There is extremely
limited information
on the top black
scientists in Africa
who have made
immense contribution
to mankind through
their innovations.
It is mostly
information on
African scientists
in the Diaspora
which is much
documented.
The overall
contributions of
blacks to science
and invention is so
extensive that it is
not possible to live
a full day in any
part of the United
States, Britain and
western Europe and
the world over
without reaping the
benefits of their
contributions.
They too, despite
being marginalised
by the dominant
western media, have
in fact,
revolutionised many
industries and made
contributions that
have boosted the
economies of most
developed countries.
Benjamin Banneker an
African-American
produced the first
clock ever built in
the United States,
in 1753. Banneker's
clock kept perfect
time, striking every
hour for more than
forty (40) years.
People came from all
over the country to
see this clock.
Another black man,
John J. Stanard, of
Newark, New Jersey,
was awarded the
first patent for the
refrigerator in the
US on October 2,
1890 while Sarah
Boone, a black
female inventor was
awarded a patent for
designing the
ironing board in
1892.
Lewis Howard Latimer
was a major
contributor to the
invention of the
light bulb and all
of its uses.
In 1881, Latimer
invented a carbon
filament for light
bulbs, without which
bulbs could not emit
light and would not
have the great
commercial use that
they have today.
In 1876, Latimer met
Alexander Graham
Bell. Some say it
was Latimer who
created the drawings
and prepared the
application for the
telephone patents of
A. Bell.
Thomas J Martin, a
black inventor, was
awarded a patent for
the fire
extinguisher on
March 26, 1872 while
William B. Purvis,
of Philadelphia,
invented a machine
for making Paper
Bags in 1882.
Purvis also
received three
patents, one on a
fountain pen,
another on a
Magnetic
Car-Balancing device
and another for a
Cutter for Roll
Holders.
There are thousands
of equally talented
and inventive blacks
working in
laboratories today
across the African
continent and in the
Diaspora.
Many of their
innovations and
creations have not
been captured in the
mainstream media.
There is need to
document
achievements by
African scientists
so as to ensure that
their contributions
don't remain
anonymous because
they are black.
"Numerous
distinguished
scholars believe
that Africa has made
unique contributions
to science. In fact,
some would go so far
as to say that
without the
contributions of
Africans, Western
science could not
have developed to
the point it has
today," wrote Brian
Murfin in article on
African science in
1992.
He says the history
of science as it has
been taught in
schools has
reflected an almost
entirely white,
European, male
viewpoint.
"Females and people
of all cultures
except Europeans
have been excluded
from the history of
science," Murfin
says. "If one delves
deeply enough,
innumerable examples
of scientific
endeavours among
Africans,
African-Americans,
females and people
of other cultures
can be found."
Says Murfin: "If
traditional doctors
were able to cure a
certain illness
centuries ago, what
kind of record would
be found today?
Determined
investigation and
new ways of thinking
will be needed to
uncover the
accomplishments of
past civilizations."
African scientists
must reawaken and
tap into the science
of the past to
provide solutions to
the problems facing
Africans today.
Much more needs to
be done to document
and publicise the
achievements of
blacks in science
which were buried in
the footnotes of
history or remained
ignored or
unreported.
"Human culture is
the product of the
struggles of all
humanity, not the
possession of a
single racial or
ethnic group," wrote
Murfin.
Kwame Nkrumah, First
Premier of Ghana
