The World Festival of Blacks in Art and Culture
The World Festival of Blacks in Art and Culture was held in Dakar, Senegal from December 10-31, 2010. RRTN was invited to create an exhibit on Blacks in Science and Technology. The exhibit was created in collaboration with Professor Ahmadou Wague, University of Dakar, and Cheikh M’backe Diop.
The exhibit showcased the contribution of Africans and the Diaspora begining with ancient civilization and ending at the present. Black people have been part of the scientific community and continue to make significant contributions to the advancement of human knowledge and economic impact through invention and discovery for the betterment of mankind.
The exhibit begun with the contributions of early African Civilization during the BC era to mathematics, science, systems, and engineering, including present day research from leading African research institutions. The exhibit then moved into an overview of contributions by black people to 10 key industries – Agriculture, Communications, Computing, Energy, Engineering and Materials, Environment, Mathematics, Medicine and Health, National Security, Space Exploration, and Transportation. There was a special tribute to the black pioneers in space. The exhibit included profiles of 25 pioneers of science from Africa and the Diaspora. A multimedia presentation of interviews and profiles of 100 innovators broadcast what young people were thinking about science today, the opinions of leaders in the fields of science and engineering, and the reality of the practitioners. There was also an engaging and interactive multimedia timeline of black history in science and technology looking at inventions, inventors, and firsts in the field with a linked Wiki-like encyclopedia.
Artistic renderings of how the exhibit will appear
Profile Renderings
Video from Exhibit
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