Benjamin Banneker was one of the most famous black men in colonial America. He was a farmer, a mathematician, an inventor, an astronomer, a writer, a surveyor, a scientist, and a humanitarian. Born on November 9, 1731, in Ellicott's Mills, Maryland, Banneker was the son of an ex-slave named Robert and his wife, Mary Bannaky. While taught to read by his maternal grandmother, Banneker was mainly self-taught in all other subjects including astronomy, accurately forecasting lunar and solar eclipse, and mathematics. Banneker, who was also a farmer, published six farmers’ almanacs using scientific methods.
In 1790, the brand-new president George Washington was authorized to construct the site of the new capital city along the Potomac River. Andrew Ellicott was selected to lead the surveying, but he needed an assistant who could read the stars. His cousin recommended his neighbor, Benjamin Banneker. For the next six nights, 61-year-old Banneker lay on his back and recorded the precise times of the stars' transits. With these calculations, the first stone marker was installed at Jones Point on April 15, 1791. This was the first of 40 boundary stones laid that outlined the new capital, the District of Columbia. The Boundary Stones are America's oldest federal monuments.
After the completion of the surveying job, Banneker wrote a letter to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson about his work on the boundary stones, his opposition of slavery and support of all human rights. Jefferson had publicly stated that he didn't believe black people and enslaved people were of the same standards as white people in terms of brains and physical abilities. Jefferson even replied to Banneker, however it was never confirmed if Banneker altered Jefferson’s views at all. Banneker was the only black man to challenge the future president's suspicion of inequality during his lifetime.
Not long after, Banneker died in 1806 at the age of 76. His legacy is celebrated as a pioneer in STEM with schools, parks, and community centers named after him and is also the inspiration for the 2023-24 Washington Wizards City Edition uniforms.
In 1790, the brand-new president George Washington was authorized to construct the site of the new capital city along the Potomac River. Andrew Ellicott was selected to lead the surveying, but he needed an assistant who could read the stars. His cousin recommended his neighbor, Benjamin Banneker. For the next six nights, 61-year-old Banneker lay on his back and recorded the precise times of the stars' transits. With these calculations, the first stone marker was installed at Jones Point on April 15, 1791. This was the first of 40 boundary stones laid that outlined the new capital, the District of Columbia. The Boundary Stones are America's oldest federal monuments.
After the completion of the surveying job, Banneker wrote a letter to Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson about his work on the boundary stones, his opposition of slavery and support of all human rights. Jefferson had publicly stated that he didn't believe black people and enslaved people were of the same standards as white people in terms of brains and physical abilities. Jefferson even replied to Banneker, however it was never confirmed if Banneker altered Jefferson’s views at all. Banneker was the only black man to challenge the future president's suspicion of inequality during his lifetime.
Not long after, Banneker died in 1806 at the age of 76. His legacy is celebrated as a pioneer in STEM with schools, parks, and community centers named after him and is also the inspiration for the 2023-24 Washington Wizards City Edition uniforms.
2024-25 City Edition Uniforms
The Beyond Boundaries Uniform honors the past boundaries we’ve broken while celebrating our future: that no boundaries can contain us. This new jersey continues the theme of last year’s Boundary Stone-inspired uniform, which paid tribute to Benjamin Banneker, an African American surveyor, mathematician, and astronomer who placed forty stone markers along the original boundary of Washington, D.C.
