Black Scientists & Inventors in the UK: Millenniums of Inventions & Innovations: Book 5

A Historical First for the UK and the World Whenever the subject of contributions made by black scientists and inventors is talked or written about, often times it s about the well known and much publicised endeavors of our African American cousins. Thanks to the many books on the subject now readily available through UK based, black book distributors such as Pepukayi Book Distribution and websites such as Amazon and other online internet outlets, we have been introduced to names such as: Garret Morgan, inventor of a Traffic Signaling (lights) system; Lewis Latimer; inventor of the carbon filament light bulb; Elijah McCoy, inventor of the early train drip-cup and Madam C.J Walker, inventor of hair products and first self-made multi-millionaire woman in the US. That said, what if you were a child born in the UK and for a school project (typically during Black History Month) you wanted to write about local black scientists and inventors? Well from recent research carried out for books on this subject, the indication is that the child would have extreme difficulties completing this type of project. Even when searches were made over the internet, no book or website for children or adults, specializing on the subject of UK [black ] scientists and inventors, was to be found. This was true until the recent ground-breaking work of Michael Williams and Manyonyi Amalemba was published in a book entitled "Black Scientists & Inventors in the UK: A Story Of Millenniums Of Inventions & Innovations ,-- yes Millenniums of inventions and innovations. Williams and Amalemba have written a well researched book which documents dozens of UK black scientists and inventors both male and female, from present day and going back to some of the earliest inhabitants of the UK. They believe that the first people who lived in the UK were originally from Africa. Williams says modern scientists, anthropologist, archaeologist and genealogist all believe that Homo sapien (wise-man) first makes his appearance in Europe around 45,000 BP after leaving Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar or / and Strait Djibouti. The remains of some of these early people can be found in caves up and down Europe. An abundance of their remains including a type of early writing now known as Rock Art have been found in the Grimaldi area in Italy. These early Africans were given the name Grimaldi man . He is believed to have brought art, language communication, fire, and many other forms of technologies into Europe. Later other travelling African groups would follow, such as, the Iberian-Celt (again named by Europeans), who inhabited the UK some 12,000 years ago, at least 9000 years before the current majority people in the UK. Williams and Amalemba say that there is now some evidence that these early people are responsible for the designing and building Stonehenge. The book documents the amazing scientific and inventive contributions made by African people, from the earliest civilizations in Africa and the UK, through the many ages, including the incomparable interruption of the trans-Atlantic Enslavement Trade (1500s to 1900s). The book, apart from being, probably, the only book published in the world on this topic, presents this epic story in a why which gives the times and conditions these people lived in whilst making their contributions. It's a book that really brings home the shared history that Africans have with Europeans in general and the UK in particular. After reading this ground-breaking book you have to wonder why this history (the history of man), has been misappropriated or omitted from the national education curriculum. Williams' says It's both a crime of omission and commission against the African Caribbean child in particular and all other children in general. The subjects; history, science and mathematics can not truly be taugh --SOS Magazine October 2017

truly be taught correctly without the inclusion of the African contribution, from our research there does not appear to be a time when the African was not involved in some way to the development of all the above subjects in European and British history. Three timelines within the book make it very easy for the reader to be taken through the historical journey of man/woman with relation to their scientific and inventive contributions. They focus on early, middle and contemporary history. Some of the named scientists and inventors that you become familiar within the book are the likes of: Dr James Africanus Beal Horton, John Edmonstone, Dr. James Samuel Risien Russel and Dr. Harold Moody, who made their STEM contributions to the UK from the 1700s to the 1900s and more modern day contributors such as: Ron Headley, ex cricketer and Inventor of the Eco charger; Dr Tim Tavares, inventor of a type of High Temperature Super Conductors; Peter Sesay inventor of the car Adjustable Seatbelt and Leeroy Brown, inventor of the combination car jack and pump. I hear you say what about the women, well the two authors answer that question by presenting a plethora of women scientists that includes TV science presenter and engineer Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Harley street dentist and TV personality Dr. Uchenna Okoye, as well as Dr Samantha Tross first African Caribbean woman to become a leading authority in Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Pauline Straker Rodgers, Chi Onwurah MP and Dr. Elizabeth Rasekola, to name but a few. We also learn that the African contribution here in the UK is not limited to STEM but is wide and far reaching, for examples it can also be found in the UK's music scene. Williams and Amalemba show how musicians from the Caribbean who settle here after 1948 help to shape the music scene and are the fore-runners to our current day popular culture. In my opinion this ground-breaking book has come at the right time and I would stress that it is essential reading for both adults and children. Because the book is about a shared history it Chris-crosses the race divide and shows that we have much more in common than differences. It can be used by anyone in the world that wants to enhance their knowledge on this subject . --SOS Magazine October 2017