1. The Carver Bust

 George Washington Carver overcame great obstacles to become a world renowned scientist, educator and humanitarian. George was born into slavery and soon became an orphan. He was affected by the violence of the time, and by racism all his life. Despite this, he firmly believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do. He also felt that each of us could achieve whatever goal we set for ourselves and he expressed that belief through a poem he read as part of the commencement address at Selma University in Selma, Alabama on May 27,1942. Here, below the bust of Carver sculpted by Audrey Corwin, you can read the poem as he read it.

EQUIPMENT

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two legs, two eyes
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say," I can”

Look them over, the wise and great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes.
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you’ve all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will.
You’re well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go.
How much you will study the truth to know.
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say: “I can.”

-Edger A. Guest