Thomas Fuller — The African Mathematical Genius

About this episode

This episode explores the extraordinary life of Thomas Fuller, an enslaved West African mathematical genius.

In this episode of Once Upon a Time in Black History, we explore the extraordinary life of Thomas Fuller, the enslaved West African man known as “The Virginia Calculator.” Kidnapped at 14 and denied any formal education, Fuller astonished everyone with his ability to perform massive calculations entirely in his mind. Abolitionists later tested him with enormous math problems to disprove racist beliefs about African intelligence. Fuller solved them instantly, even correcting the testers when they forgot to count leap years. His brilliance became undeniable evidence that genius is not limited by race, circumstance, or access to schooling. Join us as we honor Thomas Fuller’s legacy and celebrate his remarkable contribution to history.Find more stories at multiculturalbookstore.com. #ThomasFuller #VirginiaCalculator #BlackHistory #AfricanGenius #HiddenFigures #MentalMath #AfricanHistory #BlackExcellence #OnceUponATimeInBlackHistory #HistoryPodcast #STEMHistory #AbolitionistHistory #MathematicalGenius #WestAfricanHistory #UnsungHeroes

People in this episode

Host: Tamara Shiloh

Topics covered

• African history
• mathematics
• enslavement
• abolitionism
• Black excellence
• STEM education

Keywords

• Thomas Fuller
• Virginia Calculator
• Black History
• African Genius
• Mental Math
• Mathematical Genius
• Abolitionist History

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: multiculturalbookstore.com

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