News — education

Sankore Mosque and University is the oldest continuously-operating institution of higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is believed that the mosque and university were erected in the 1100s C.E. (Twelfth Century) by Berbers who settled in the Timbuktu region of modern-day Mali. Mansa Musa I, ruler of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337, made several improvements to the mosque after his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324; he staffed it with scholars in various fields and helped it gain more visibility within the Islamic world. The mosque and university underwent more changes under Askia Daoud (Dawud), ruler of the Songhai empire from 1549 to 1583. Askia Daoud (Dawud) grew the mosque and university to 180 facilities and 25,000 students, a remarkable feat considering that the Timbuktu population was only 100,000 at the time.

Sankore mosque and university consisted of numerous buildings made of clay, stone beams, and a wooden scaffold for repairs after rainy seasons, modeled after the Malian indigenous mud structures. Each building was run by its own imam (worship leader) or ulema (Islamic scholar). There was no central authority within the school besides the ruler of Timbuktu. Classes were conducted in private rooms or open courtyards. Students used locally-made wooden boards and ink to complete assignments.

Prior to entering the university, students pursued two degrees. The first degree required learning how to read and write in Arabic (this was the level of education that most people in Timbuktu obtained). Students admitted to the university then studied language, poetry, grammar, and literature for the second degree. University students engaged in both mandatory and optional studies. Mandatory studies consisted of philosophy, Islamic law, interpretation of the Quran, language studies, and advanced grammar. Optional studies included history, algebra, physics, medicine, chemistry, arithmetic, and astronomy. It took 10 years on average for students to graduate. Students who did complete the course of study received clothes, blocks of salt, livestock, and money as gifts upon their graduation. Wealthier graduates performed a graduation ceremony that consisted of wearing a white garment while riding a white horse towards the mosque and university. This ceremony ended with a large festival in celebration of the graduate’s accomplishments.

Many prominent scholars taught courses in the mosque and university, including Abu Abdallah, Ag Mohammed ibn Utman, Ag Mohammed Ibn Al-Mukhtar An-Nawahi, Mohammed Bagayogo as-Sudan al Wangari al-Timbukti, Abu al-Abbas Ahmad Buryu ibn, and Modibo Mohammed al-Kaburi. The most notable scholar professor at the mosque and university was Ahmad Bamba, who wrote over 60 texts on subjects ranging from philosophy to language studies. Most of the university’s professors were educated in Islamic universities in Makkah and Fez in present-day Morocco, Tunis in present-day Tunisia, and Cairo, Egypt. They followed the Maliki school of Islamic philosophy and were members of the Qadiri Sufi order.

After the Moroccan invasion of Songhai in 1591, Sankore mosque and university was stripped of most of its scholars and many of its texts were destroyed. The university still exists today, however, serving primarily as a place of Quranic studies for young children.

The University of the West Indies (UWI) is a public regional university unique in the world of higher education.  The university is supported by and operating for the benefit of the people of 17 nations and territories in and around the Caribbean. These nations include Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos. Each of these countries is either a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations or a British Overseas Territory.

The University currently consists of three major campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, and Cave Hill in Barbados.  There are satellite campuses in Mount Hope, Trinidad and Tobago, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Nassau, Bahamas.  Each nation without a branch or satellite campus nonetheless has an Open Campus, that is, a small facility that symbolizes the physical presence of the University and has the same governance structure.  The Open Campus although located in 13 separate countries and territories nonetheless constitutes the fourth campus of the University of the West Indies.

The University of the West Indies was established in 1948 initially at Mona Jamaica.  The original campus was a branch of the University of London.  It achieved independent University status in 1962, ironically the year that Jamaica became an independent nation. The St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad, formerly the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, was started in 1960 and the Cave Hill Campus in Barbados was founded in 1963.  The Open Campus was established in 2008.

The current enrollment on all four campuses combined is approximately 56,000 students and there are about 1,000 faculty and staff. UWI offers programs for undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Pure & Applied Science and Social Sciences.

The University of the West Indies has a number of notable alumni, including Derek Walcott, the poet and Nobel Laureate; Sir Arthur Lewis, a Nobel Laureate in Economics; the historian Walter Rodney; and the current and former Prime Ministers of sixteen Caribbean nations.

Founded on October 4, 1962, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) is a public university located in Zaria, Kaduna State in northern Nigeria. With over 35,000 students, it is the largest university in sub-Saharan Africa and the second largest on the African continent after the University of Cairo in Egypt. The institution was originally founded as the University of Northern Nigeria but was renamed in honor of the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, who was the first premier of northern Nigeria and the university’s first chancellor. Bello was murdered by Army officers on January 15, 1966 during Nigeria’s first military coup.

The university has two main campuses, the Samaru and Kongo campus. The Samaru campus is home to the administrative offices, sciences, social sciences, arts and languages, education and research facilities. The Kongo campus houses the Faculties of Law and Administration, which consists of accounting, business administration, local government and development studies, and public administration departments. The university also has the ABU Teaching Hospital, which is one of the largest training hospitals in Nigeria.

Currently, the university covers a land area of 7,000 hectares and encompasses twelve academic faculties, a postgraduate school and 82 academic departments. It also has five institutes, six specialized centers, a Division of Agricultural Colleges, a demonstration secondary school, a primary school and extension and consultancy services, which provide a variety of services to the university and the wider society. While most students are from northern Nigeria, the university attracts students from all over Africa. There are about 1,400 academic and research staff and 5,000 support staff working at ABU.

Ahmadu Bello University has numerous notable alumni including the current vice president of Nigeria, Namadi Sambo. Its philosophy/motto is, “The first duty of every university is the search for and the spread of knowledge and the establishment of the nation.”

Joshua Nelson is not the everyday scholarship recipient. He is the type of person who truly wants the growth of everyone in his circle while making great strides. Upon receiving a full-ride scholarship to his top college choice, Nelson decided to donate his savings towards college to another student in need.

The St Charles West High School student received the President’s Scholarship of $43,000 that will cover his entire stay in Southeast Missouri State. He will enter their pre-optometry program and major in biomedical sciences.

Nelson is a varsity basketball player and president of the school’s Multi-Cultural Achievement Committee. The 18-year-old has always been on top of his game and lives by the mission of the Multi-Cultural Achievement Committee which “is to encourage students of color to maximize their potential and to become college and career ready.”

He led different empowering workshops such as resume writing, interviewing skills, and strategies to ace college admissions tests.

A school counselor, Yoanda Curry, said everyone is proud of Nelson especially because “he just has a heart for people.”

Cultivating the habit of saving while in high school, Nelson saved more than $1,000 for college. Upon receiving the scholarship, he decided to set up a fund to help a student in need. The Joshua Nelson Leaders In Action Scholarship aims”to help multicultural students who are showing leadership, community service and just have great qualities in and out of the classroom.” Nelson hopes that others would donate to multiply his thousand dollars and make another student’s dream come true. 

Nelson admits he takes pride in helping others because he got help from the community and this is his way to give back. “I really thought it was important to give back to my community that poured in so much to me…Honestly, it makes me feel on top of the world. The fact that I can just help somebody a little bit makes me feel great, and I really want to see other people succeed,” said Nelson.

He has since earned the admiration of his peers. “I think he’s an inspiration to some of the other people at the school, especially students of color. I don’t even think he realizes that he’s doing that much for everyone else as well,” classmate Harmony Hudson said.

“We’re extremely proud of him,” Curry added.

At age 10 while most boys were thinking of the latest video game, Curtis Lawrence III was taking his SATs. Now a teenager, Lawrence has his eyes set on attending an HBCU after receiving more than $1.6 million in college scholarships and being accepted into top universities in the country.

The 16-year-old graduated from DC’s School Without Walls, a magnet high school, and started taking early college classes through a special program at George Washington University when he was just 14 years old.

Lawrence has now been accepted into Ivy League schools including George Washington University, Hampton, Harvard, Howard, Morehouse, Morgan, North Carolina A&T, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago, and Yale.

However, the next phase of his educational journey will be at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University where he will take a double major in biology and computer science.

“First I started thinking about what schools had good biology programs,” the 16-year-old told FOX 5 DC. “Then I started looking specifically at HBCUs because I wanted the HBCU experience and to be surrounded by the people who are just like me and who are not only Black but academically talented.”

He learned to read by age two from his mother. Both parents are educators with two gifted sons. “My mom just always pushed education, pushed advanced academics and especially being at the elementary school in Harlem, I was surrounded by other people who were advanced, so it just felt like the norm for me,” Lawrence said.

The gifted boy’s mother, Malene Lawrence, said her son has “loved dinosaurs and paleontology literally since he was one. And some people think, ‘Oh, your kid is going to grow out of that.’ But you foster that love of whatever it is.”

“So we’d keep dinosaur books. Like, we kept tons of nonfiction books in the car, and he would be pronouncing the names of dinosaurs and I was like, ‘How does this kid know this?’”

Apart from taking the SATs at age 10, he also studied abroad in China, where he stayed with a Chinese family and improved his Mandarin, according to wtop.com.

His parents are supportive of his ambitions and knew from the onset he wanted to take it to the doctorate level. And that is what they are working towards as a family.

“This has been a really long process that kind of started in seventh grade as we were thinking about college prep,” said Malene Lawerence. “His goal is to get a Ph.D., so we kind of helped him plan backward.” 

Lawrence is ever grateful to his parents for instilling in him the “love for learning” and the chance to advance himself in academia.

“We’ve taught them from an early age that education is key to opening up the opportunities and having access to things that they want to live,” his father, Curtis Lawrence, told FOX 5 DC. “Since they were born, we’ve given them those experiences to make sure they know the importance of education.

Ahmed Muhammed is the pride of his family. The 18-year-old will next month be Oakland Technical High School’s first Black male valedictorian in its 106-year history. He has also been accepted into 11 top universities to which he applied including Harvard and Stanford.

“Being named valedictorian is a dream come true,” he said. “I hope that me being class valedictorian inspires others from similar backgrounds to do the same.”

The High School senior scored a cumulative GPA of 4.73 throughout high school with hopes of finishing with a 5.0 GPA in his senior year. Out of the 11 universities he got accepted to, he is likely to choose Harvard, Stanford, Princeton or Columbia, where he will major in engineering, according to San Francisco Chronicle. “It feels amazing,” Muhammad shared. “I’m grateful to be accepted to any single college, but 11 of them? I had never imagined this.”

He has not only excelled academically but has also been doing well on the basketball court for his school’s varsity basketball team.

What’s more, during the pandemic, he founded the non-profit Kits Cubed (now a company), which offers science experiment kits to grade school-aged students. The student entrepreneur founded the nonprofit to discourage young people, particularly those from underserved communities, from thinking that they can’t be scientists.

The teen’s aim is to get his learning kits in the hands of every young scientist in Oakland. He had founded Kits Cubed while babysitting his younger niece and nephew during the pandemic. Muhammad once asked them to work on some science projects, but they refused, saying they were not good at the subject. At that moment, Muhammad decided to use simple science experiments to prove them wrong.

“We went to the store together and I had them pick out potatoes, and then I went to the hardware store to buy some copper nails, some galvanized nails, and some wire and we made a battery out of it,” he told CNN.

Muhammad was able to convince them that they were not bad at science. He then decided to share that with the community. That gave birth to Kits Cubed. With the help of his teachers, Muhammad designed science kits geared toward elementary school students.

Following media reports, scores of organizations and individuals, including former NFL star and Oakland Tech alumnus Marshawn Lynch, contacted Muhammad to offer their support. Then came a partnership with Oakland-based non-profit Seneca Family of Agencies, which provided Muhammad with tools to expand as well as office space.

Today, Kits Cubed is an official company that has also started working in partnership with the National Society of Black Engineers to create a virtual science program for kids. So far, Muhammad has distributed hundreds of his kits to schools around Oakland. The kits are also available for online purchase for $15. Each includes three experiments, hence the name Kits Cubed.

“There’s so much to learn before picking a single path,” he explained to KTVU, adding, “My work at Kits Cubed has also taught me the value of interdisciplinary studies, so I plan on studying concepts such as Public Policy and Urban Studies outside of my intended engineering focus.”

Muhammad and his siblings got all the kind of support they could from their parents to succeed academically. Their parents themselves did not attend college, however.

Muhammad’s father is a retired captain who spent 30 years with the Oakland Fire Department while his mother immigrated from Cambodia. The two started a real estate business together while teaching their children hard work and determination.

His advice to everyone is to never stop dreaming no matter how difficult things may seem.

“My advice is to never stop dreaming, and while in pursuit of your dreams, make sure to implement a foundation in your life that can serve you no matter what it is you want to accomplish,” Oakland Tech’s Class of 2021 valedictorian shared, adding, “Dreams are powerful and dynamic, and by having a foundation of good habits, you’ll be able to achieve your wildest dreams even as they, and you, change.”

A young 21-year-old Albany native is on a mission to creating the perfect “Man-Making Machine.” King Randall is elevating The “X” for Boys program into a school to give troubled teenage boys a chance at finding their purpose and excelling in life.

In 2019, Randall started The “X” for Boys program at the age of 19 in Albany, Georgia with 20 boys in his home during a summer camp. Through the self-funded program, he taught these boys essential life skills like repairing and maintaining cars, cooking, and how to handle firearms. “Doing different workshops teaching young men how to do different skill trades, we’re also doing a book club and teaching them how to read because 93 percent of the children I come into contact with can’t read,” explained Randall.

The success rate of his book club showed an 86% improvement rate in comprehension skills of the boys aged 1 to 17. Hence, Randall felt it was time to expand his facilities by opening a school that can handle large group intake and change lives.

He is set to transform the former Isabella School into the New Life Preparatory School for Boys, according to WALB News 10. In the school, Randal and his team will provide trade skills such as auto-repair and welding.

Troubled teens have reached out to Randall wanting to take the high road in life. The 21-year-old has helped delinquents stay out of trouble, especially those who need to “escape from undesirable living conditions” and adult life of criminality.

“Giving them space where they’re around a lot of other young men and around other men trying to mold you and train you. I’ve had kids come find me at my house and come knock and ask to join The “X” for Boys. I’ve had kids message me on Instagram, gang members, you name it,” said Randall.

The motto of the school is “Let Us make a man” because Randall believes that it takes a village to groom these young men into responsible men. So for The Life Preparatory School for Boys, he is raising funds from his community and beyond to give these young boys a chance at a better future. “This is what the City of Albany needs! Let’s do this for our boys!
We will Make Men Great Again!” he said on his Facebook page.

A young 21-year-old Albany native is on a mission to creating the perfect “Man-Making Machine.” King Randall is elevating The “X” for Boys program into a school to give troubled teenage boys a chance at finding their purpose and excelling in life.

In 2019, Randall started The “X” for Boys program at the age of 19 in Albany, Georgia with 20 boys in his home during a summer camp. Through the self-funded program, he taught these boys essential life skills like repairing and maintaining cars, cooking, and how to handle firearms. “Doing different workshops teaching young men how to do different skill trades, we’re also doing a book club and teaching them how to read because 93 percent of the children I come into contact with can’t read,” explained Randall.

The success rate of his book club showed an 86% improvement rate in comprehension skills of the boys aged 1 to 17. Hence, Randall felt it was time to expand his facilities by opening a school that can handle large group intake and change lives.

He is set to transform the former Isabella School into the New Life Preparatory School for Boys, according to WALB News 10. In the school, Randal and his team will provide trade skills such as auto-repair and welding.

Troubled teens have reached out to Randall wanting to take the high road in life. The 21-year-old has helped delinquents stay out of trouble, especially those who need to “escape from undesirable living conditions” and adult life of criminality.

“Giving them space where they’re around a lot of other young men and around other men trying to mold you and train you. I’ve had kids come find me at my house and come knock and ask to join The “X” for Boys. I’ve had kids message me on Instagram, gang members, you name it,” said Randall.

The motto of the school is “Let Us make a man” because Randall believes that it takes a village to groom these young men into responsible men. So for The Life Preparatory School for Boys, he is raising funds from his community and beyond to give these young boys a chance at a better future. “This is what the City of Albany needs! Let’s do this for our boys!
We will Make Men Great Again!” he said on his Facebook page.

The mother of an 11-year-old sixth-grader at a Long Island Catholic school is accusing the institution’s headmaster of forcing her Black son to kneel and apologize after claiming that’s the “African way” of saying sorry.

In an interview with New York Daily News, Trisha Paul said St. Martin de Porres Marianist School headmaster John Holian forced her Haitian-American son to get on his knees and render an apology after his English teacher reported him for doing the wrong assignment. When Paul got in touch with Holian to discuss the incident after her son told him what had occurred, the headmaster allegedly justified his action by claiming he learned that disciplinary practice from a Nigerian parent who told him it’s an “African way” of rendering an apology. Paul said the explanation left her shocked.

“Once he started mentioning this African family, that’s when it just clicked,” Paul told the news outlet. “Like, this is not normal procedure. I felt there was no relevance at all. Is he generalizing that everyone who is Black is African? That’s when I realized something is not right with this situation.”

Paul, who said the February incident left her son embarrassed, believes race played a factor. “My son was humiliated, hurt, embarrassed, sad and confused,” she said. “He reads about things happening because of your skin color. To experience it… he’s just trying to process it in his 11-year-old brain.”

In a phone call on March 1 to discuss the incident, Paul said Holian admitted the punishment in question wasn’t a standard disciplinary procedure. He also couldn’t properly clarify how the kneeling story about the Nigerian family was relevant after making reference to it. And when the two met face to face to further discuss the incident, Holian alleged her son was made to apologize to the teacher for being disrespectful. Paul, however, said the school had never contacted her about her son’s conduct, adding that he is a “well-mannered, honor roll student.”

During their discussion, Holian also told Paul he made her son kneel because simply saying sorry wouldn’t have changed anything. “If I had said to him ‘apologize and get back to class’… it would’ve meant nothing,” Holian told Paul in the video recording of their meeting, according to New York Daily News. “So it was changing the way you say ‘I apologize.’”

Holian also doubled down on forcing Paul’s son to kneel, saying he learned that form of punishment from a Nigerian parent whose child was enrolled at the school.

“This father came in and said, ‘you’re going to apologize to this teacher the African way, and you’re going to get down on your knees and apologize.’ I’ve never seen that before,” Holian said, adding that that form of punishment is justifiable irrespective of a child’s race.

“I have six kids, and four boys. And if one of them is really acting rude and arrogant… I will say at times, ‘get on your knees and apologize,’” he told Paul. “I was speaking to your son as I would my own son.”

Meanwhile, school authorities released a statement on Friday announcing Holian has been placed on temporary leave pending an investigation into the incident.

“I want to assure you that St. Martin’s neither condones nor accepts the actions of our headmaster,” acting headmaster James Conway wrote in the statement. “The incident does not reflect our long, established values or the established protocols regarding student related issues.”

Though Holian apologized to Paul over the incident, the mother said the harm has already been caused. “He showed no remorse until he realized how it’s impacted my son,” she told New York Daily News. “He’s going to therapy. He’s been very reserved and humiliated.” Paul also said her son now tries to “stay away from the headmaster and not speak to the teacher if need be.”

Marketing student Tahir Murray followed in his family’s footsteps by creating a clothing line focused on HBCUs. The Howard University senior designed HBCU apparel that has attracted the attention of Black NBA All-Stars such as Chris Paul.

Last year, Murray participated in Nike’s Air Max campaign. The company honored and celebrated individuals who have attended HBCUs.

“Before we launched in Fall 2019, I knew I wanted to primarily focus on HBCUs to help share our stories,” Murray shared with The Council of Fashion Designers of America. Murray hopes that his clothing brand will continue to bring more visibility to HBCUs.

Keeping the Power of the HBCU Legacy Alive

The first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established in the 1800s, providing higher education opportunities for Black people. Admissions officers typically denied entry to Blacks who were seeking to attend traditional institutions due to segregation and discriminatory practices.

According to NBC, HBCUs are experiencing an alarming drop in enrollment that could threaten their future. “There is a distinct possibility that a number of HBCUs could cease to exist in 20 years or so,” Ronnie Bagley, a 1983 graduate from Norfolk State University shared with NBC. “If that were to occur, many low-income, first-generation students will lose out on an opportunity for a college education.

Penetrating the HBCU Market with Unique Clothing Designs

Murray is on a mission to re-energize the passion for HBCUs. Through his HBCU luxury brand, LegacyHistoryPride™, the college senior is combining his passion for fashion with the needs of the market to drive more attention to HBCUs.

“Before I started LHP, there wasn’t anyone else in the market shining this type of light on HBCU culture through something I grew up on, which is fashion,” Murray shared.

LegacyHistoryPride™ has secured multiple partnerships with HBCUs. The lifestyle brand has over 50,000 followers on social media and connects with thousands of students across the country. According to the website, the company is providing scholarships to current undergraduate HBCU students.

HBCU Student Continuing A Legacy of Clothing Businesses

Murray is on track to obtain his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Howard University this year. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has been in the fashion industry since the day he could walk. Growing up in a family of apparel entrepreneurs, Murray always had his eyes set on continuing the legacy that his grandfather started.

Ortner Murray, Murray’s grandfather, came to the United States from Trinidad & Tobago in 1966 to pursue the American dream. He lived his dreams through entrepreneurship, creating the iconic Von’s Sneaker store in Queens. Murray’s father created the School of Hard Knocks and the Queen’s 7 T-shirt. 

Now, Murray is using this opportunity to showcase what’s possible for the next generation.

Lupita Nyong’o has spoken out on colorism and self-love several times and her maiden children’s book Sulwe delivers that message aptly to young and old readers alike. Giant streaming platform Netflix announced Thursday that it is bringing the book to life in an animated musical and we are all here for it.

Sulwe, which means Star in the Lou language, centers around Sulwe, a dark-skinned girl who goes on a starry-eyed adventure and awakens with a reimagined sense of beauty as she comes to terms with her dark skin.

Nyong’o noted that in her native Kenya, there is an explicit preference for people with lighter shades even in the overwhelmingly Black-skinned country.

It was illustrated by Vashti Harrison and with this being her first book, Nyong’o hopes to inspire young Black children to appreciate and accept their uniqueness.

A statement released on Thursday by the ‘12 Years A Slave’ actress reiterated how personal the book was to her indicating that Sulwe is close to her heart being a victim of colorism herself. “Growing up, I was uncomfortable in my dark skin,” she said. “I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in the aspirational pages of books and magazines, or even on TV. It was a long journey for me to arrive at self-love.”

She continued, “Sulwe is a mirror for dark-skinned children to see themselves, a window for those who may not be familiar with colorism, to have understanding and empathy, and an invitation for all who feel different and unseen to recognize their innate beauty and value. 

“I am thrilled that the book is being adapted into an animated musical that we hope inspires children all around the world to celebrate their uniqueness.”

Last year, Lupita had a special homecoming for Sulwe in East Africa with new editions in her native language Luo and widely spoken Swahili.

The Oscar-winning actress shared the news on Twitter hoping that the message of Sulwe “can travel the world for readers of all ages, but it’s especially meaningful to bring it home”.

“#Sulwe is coming home! You can now find editions in Kenya in English, Swahili & my mother tongue, Luo. My childhood inspired Sulwe’s story,” she wrote at the time.

Nyong’o is an outspoken voice on issues of racism and colorism. Since her breakout appearance in 2013’s “12 Years A Slave”, she has used her platform to channel the movement aimed at collapsing racial prejudice.

Often, she draws on her experiences as a young Black woman in spaces with people who do not look like her. Nyong’o went to the United States from Kenya although she was born in Mexico where she lived for several years.

Almost everyone knows what the Global Positioning System (GPS) is and how it has changed the way people navigate the world.

Incorporated into several devices such as cars and cell phones, as well as, social media, this technological system allows accurate determination of geographical locations which makes navigation easier as compared to the past.

Yet, not everyone knows about Gladys West and the pivotal role she played in birthing the GPS. Not a household name, interest in the 87-year-old mathematician increased when she wrote a biography for a sorority function in which she outlined her invaluable contribution – one of the few women who worked towards the development of the GPS in the 1950s and 1960s.

For 42 years, West worked with a team of engineers that developed the GPS before retiring in 1998.

When she was hired in 1956 as a mathematician at the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory, she did not know that her subsequent work at the Navy base in Virginia would change the world.

Before becoming one of a small group of women who did computing for the U.S. military in the absence of electronic systems, West worked as a math teacher for two years in Sussex County.

This was after she had earned a scholarship to Virginia State College (now University), where she graduated at the top of her class.

After obtaining her master’s degree, she joined the Dahlgren, Virginia naval base in 1956, where she became one of only four black employees, according to a report by the Associated Press.

One was a mathematician named Ira West, and the two dated for 18 months before they married in 1957, the report added.

West’s work at Dahlgren involved collecting data from orbiting satellites that would help to determine their exact location as they transmitted from around the world.

She would then input the data into giant computers that could fill entire rooms while working on computer software that ensured that calculations for surface elevations and geoid heights were accurate.

West worked long days and nights doing such complex calculations and recording data, yet she was “ecstatic” about her role, she told the AP, as she was able to “work with some of the greatest scientists working on these projects.”

“When you’re working every day, you’re not thinking, ‘What impact is this going to have on the world?’ You’re thinking, ‘I’ve got to get this right,’” the Richmond native and daughter of field workers added.

Her hard work earned her recognition by her supervisor,
Ralph Neiman, who recommended her for a commendation in 1979 – project manager for the Seasat radar altimetry project.

Seasat was launched in 1978 and was the first satellite designed for remote sensing of oceans with synthetic aperture radar.

“This involved planning and executing several highly complex computer algorithms which have to analyze an enormous amount of data,” Neiman wrote. “You have used your knowledge of computer applications to accomplish this in an efficient and timely manner.”

Captain Godfrey Weekes, a then-commanding officer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, recently summed up the fundamental role played by West.

“She rose through the ranks, worked on the satellite geodesy and contributed to the accuracy of GPS and the measurement of satellite data,” he said.

After a life of complex calculations and data analysis, West retired in 1998 and although it was reported that she suffered a stroke, she soon recovered and was able to further her education to earn a doctorate.

Twenty years after her retirement, the mathematics genius has now been officially honoured for her hard work. On December 6, she was presented with the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers award for her decades of contributions to the Air Force’s space program.

The award is one of Air Force’s Space Commands highest honours. “It pays tribute to the leaders of the early years of the Air Force space program, as well as the subsequent innovators whose vision and perseverance overcame the obstacles of the unknown, those who transformed the cutting edge of technology into operational systems, and those who dedicated their lives to exploring space in support of our national security concerns,” said Black Press USA.

West’s recognition has been received with much excitement but what should interest many people is the fact that she is still doing her calculations.

Even though she uses the GPS when travelling, she still prefers to refer to a paper map since “the data points could be wrong or outdated.”