A Closer Look

In celebration of February as Black History Month, American Aperture turns its focus on the earliest days of American history. It is of little known consequence Washington D.C. in the District of Columbia was in fact designed around one basic fundamental geometric shape: the pentagram. Everything from the placement of the Capitol Building to the White House to the surrounding Washington, Lincoln monuments, streets and roadways, National Mall, and housing were all derived from one central point. From this one locale rippling concentric circles and true meridian energy points spread across the nation’s capital ensuring the United States of America to be the most powerful nation in the world.
It is a less known fact that an African American aided General George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, and French born, Major Pierre Charles L’ Enfant, in the initial plotting of the land in accordance with nature and the celestial constellations in the heavens above. Though Benjamin Banneker was a black man in a slave nation he was a completely self-taught mathematician and astronomer whose work was widely sought after. When we return, American Aperture sharpens its focus on, Benjamin Banneker, in a section we like to call: “It’s all in the stars.”
Thank you for joining us this evening as we turn our attention to Benjamin Banneker, mathematician, astronomer, clockmaker, publisher, swanky dresser, consummate gentleman, and African American.
Little is known of Benjamin’s early years. He was born to Robert Banna Ka a freed slave who was freed and wed by, Molly Walsh, a European American woman. He grew up on a farm at Ellicott’s Mills where he was taught mathematics by a Quaker schoolmarm.
Andrew Ellicott gave Benjamin his first watch after seeing how amazed and enthralled the young African American was with all of its working gears. Banneker dismantled and mantled the watch several times a day until he understood the inner workings of the timepiece.
From this simple act of generosity, Benjamin formed the building blocks to forge ahead where few ventured. He became an astute astronomer who along with Ellicott mapped out Washington D.C. in alignment with the stars. The most notable being Sirius before leaving the Potomac area to return to his home on the Ellicott farm, due to illness.
*A historical reenactment.
The elderly Banneker sits in a country cabin with four other black gentlemen who range in ages from early twenties to Banneker’s age. A single candle is placed on a table illuminating city plans, calculations, and layouts. Shadows wobble on the walls behind the men.
The youngest of the four leans into the light, “Nigga, iz you crazy? You can’t give these white men the secret. You need your clock cleaned.” “Watch your voice, Fredrick,” Benjamin replies in earnest, “Look these men have assured me they would change the policies regarding African American’s if we just work together.” Fredrick yells loudly, and stands, “Are you out of your fucking mind?” The group reacts quickly ushering Fredrick to sit down. Fredrick sits and lowers his voice to a whisper. “Are you out of your fucking mind? We have a deal with the reds. No white man can know the secret. Can you imagine the hailstorm we’re gonna get if word gets out.”
“Fredrick relax,”
“Don’t tell me to relax. Man, you gonna have to fake a illness or something, I’d don know.”
“Shh, someone’s comin.”
A member of the group extinguishes the candle.
Fade to black.
This has been a, moment in time, provide by American Aperture. Thank you, when we return we’ll explore further the little add that started it all:
In front of a huge ship, a young pilgrim crier yells loudly to passers-by at a dock bazaar in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa, a sign next to him reads: “All expense paid cross-Atlantic cruise. Free lodging and board, cozy accommodation, plus on board workout facility. Come ye, explore America.”
After that, a powerful expose on the petition sweeping some southern states to remove the first “r” in February changing it to Febuary, and what the federal government is doing about it.
Sound bites: “First they give us the shortest month, now they want to shorten the word February. What’s next raising the rim height, or lengthening the field? They’re nickel and dimming us, I say, just nickel and dimming us.” “This ain’t motivated by no race issues. Just look at the word. February, just don’t sound American.” “It is the expressed concerned viewpoint of the federal government to urge this to remain under the jurisdiction of a purely local government.” “What with this year’s corn parade and the jelly-off the county clerks office just ain’t equipped to handle all this paper.”