Hello my name is George Washington Carver. My big day was on July 14th 1943. It was the day I became the first African American to have a national park named after me and the park was founded by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

I came from a leader in agriculture as my father and a proud son of Missouri and I was born in about 1864 on a farm near Diamond, Missouri and was the son of Moses Carver. I grew up as a free child, albeit on the farm of my mother's former master.

Something that I've done that led me to my big event was when on January 21st, 1921 I became one of the first black experts to testify before Congress. My main mission in life was to coax farmers away from cotton to such soil-enhancing, protein-rich crops as soybeans and peanuts and to teach them self-sufficiency and conservation. The diligence I did was as a young boy, learning about the importance of not neglecting work and studying to enjoy my love of nature and painting. I also invented 300 uses for peanuts and pioneered crop rotation.

I remember sitting in my seat at the opening of my eponymous national park and feeling so proud to be honored in such a way, especially by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I see a lot of people who look to respect me as a person. I hear the sounds of the ribbon cutting to signify the opening and hearing people all around me clapping and cheering.

The impact of my big day was that I became the first African American to have a national park named after me. After my big day I became respected in academics and as a person and inspired many African Americans to do great things and invent just like I did.