It's kinda cliche in the US to celebrate George Washington Carver during #BlackHistoryMonth, but y'all I just gotta, the man is a complicated, relatable legend.
• #solarpunk - "We can synthesize materials for every human need from things that grow."
• huge plant nerd
• chronic health issues
• frustrated genius
• probably bisexual, possibly gray-ace
• orphan, survivor of slavery and endless racism
• radical Christian
• terrible at capitalism
• early champion of #homesteading, #sustainability
@ziggurat I wish I knew more about him other than "peanut guy"
@interneteh I read a bunch of biographies about him; this one's long and detailed, but I want to find a good book: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/carver.html
For me the short version is that despite being an intellectual elite and a problematic hot mess, he worked hard to sustainably empower poor black farmers.
@interneteh Also I can't read this list without thinking of him as an early blogger 😂
https://www.tuskegee.edu/support-tu/george-washington-carver/carver-bulletins