Celebrating George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver never saw science and faith as separate. To him, every discovery
was just another way of uncovering the fingerprints of God.

Born into slavery around 1864, Carver grew up in a world full of barriers. But he had an
insatiable curiosity and a deep belief that God had a purpose for his life. Often called “the plant
doctor” as a boy, he taught himself about the natural world, because many schools wouldn’t
admit Black students. But Carver’s faith taught him perseverance. He once said, “Without God
to draw aside the curtain, I would be helpless.”

Carver would go on to become one of the most brilliant agricultural scientists in American
history. At Tuskegee Institute, he taught formerly enslaved people practical farming methods
that restored soil and rebuilt communities. His work with peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other
crops offered sustainable alternatives to cotton, and changed Southern agriculture forever.

But for Carver, science was never about fame or fortune. Though he developed hundreds of
uses for everyday crops, he refused to patent most of his discoveries, saying, “God gave them
to me; how can I sell them to someone else?” His life was a living testimony that true wisdom
comes from humility and a heart surrendered to God.

Carver advised presidents and world leaders, but he remained incredibly humble. He spent his
life encouraging young people to live lives of service and integrity. One of his simple prayers
captures his spirit best. “Lord, why did You make me?” he would ask. And every day, through his
work and kindness, he answered it, with a life poured out for others.

George Washington Carver’s legacy reminds us that God can use our talents, big or small, to
change the world, if we place them in His hands.

Join us this month, on-air and online, during Black History Month on BRIGHT-FM as we journey through history.