I'm Philip Emeagwali at http://emeagwali.com.
When I visit the public libraries in the United
States, I often ran into elementary school
students or middle school students or high
school students doing research for their school
reports. Some school reports were titled:
“Famous Scientists and Their Discoveries.”
Or
“Great Inventors and Their Inventions.”
Since my invention
of the massively parallel processing supercomputer
that occurred
on the Fourth of July 1989
and that made the news headlines,
thereafter, many school reports
had the title:
“The Contributions of Philip Emeagwali
to the Development of the Computer.”
I encourage children
to continue their education
by visiting their schools
and sharing my struggles with them.
I encourage children to study science
by replying their emails
and returning some of their
telephone calls.
However, most children assume that
I am dead and, for that reason,
do not write me.
Children assume that I am dead because
most famous scientists—like Archimedes,
Galileo, and Isaac Newton—died centuries
ago
and only exist in old films
and textbooks.
It matters that my contribution
to the development of the fastest supercomputers
is studied in American schools.
It matters because
eventually, students of today
will be the teachers of tomorrow.
Eventually, teachers of yesterday
will be companions
to the 17th century Isaac Newton.
So, I understood
how important it will be
for young black African Americans
to see another black African American
making a contribution
to the development of the supercomputer.
I discovered that
it was not just for young black African Americans
to see me in a leading role
but for old white European American scientists
to get accustomed to
a young black African American
as their scientific role model.
I am not surprised that most students
writing a school report on
“Philip Emeagwali”
assumed at the beginning
that I died centuries ago.
One student that wrote a school report
on Philip Emeagwali
was surprised to see me playing soccer
with her father.
And it resonates
when a kid sees the inventor
in her school report
playing soccer with her father.
I was in the public library
in Baltimore, Maryland
when I saw a 12-year-old
and observed that he was writing a school
report
on “Philip Emeagwali.”
To encourage him in his education
and study of science,
I put my hand on his shoulder
and said:
“Please allow me to introduce myself,
I’m Philip Emeagwali.”
He reacted as if I was a ghost.
“I thought you’re dead,”
the 12-year-old asked in disbelief.
A year later, I saw him again.
“What did your teacher say
about your school report on me.”
I asked.
My teacher said:
“Anthony, you don’t need to lie
that Philip Emeagwali
put his hand on your shoulder.”
