“The miracle which God let be born in Salzburg” was Leopold Mozart’s appreciation and understanding of his responsibility towards the growth and development of his genius son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian composer who at the age of five was already composing music and went on to be among the best composers in human history.

History is replete with child prodigies from all races who have gone on to stun the world and make remarkable differences in various fields of study. Among many of these are Black Children whose continued emergence and talents have gone on to challenge the prejudices behind intelligence among different races.

One of such older prodigies of the late 1920’s is the Late Katherine Goble Johnson, who at a young age had already begun showing potential by solving mathematical equations beyond her years. By 10 years she was already enrolled in high school and by 18 years she had graduated from West Virginia State College with a degree in Mathematics and French. Catherine would later go on to play a crucial role in the United States Space program calculating several flight paths for several space crafts.

Young Katherine Johnson (Credits: NASA, Source: Women in Aeronautics and Astronautics, University of Michigan)

In the world of STEM education, many Black children are continually at a level of genius that exceeds their contemporaries. One such prodigy is Alena Analeigh Wicker, who graduated from Arizona State University at the remarkable age of 15 years and is set to be enrolled in the Medical School. As one of NASA’s youngest interns, Alena has shown so much promise at such a young age.

Alena Analeigh Wicker. Source: X | @BrownStemGirl

In other fields of endeavor, several Black children have also shown potential. The likes of Andrew Koonce, a violinist who in eighth grade, won the Maestro Award for best solo at the Heritage Music Festival in Florida. In the world of sports, the likes of 17-year-old professional golfer Ginger Howard and 17-year-old chess master Rochelle Ballantyne, have continued to earn recognition for their amazing talents.

Andrew Koonce (Source: X | @WoodwardAcademy), Ginger Howard (Source: Facebook | Ginger Howard), Rochelle Ballantyne (Source: The Chess Drum)

Many other Black children with amazing potential abound all over the world and are being discovered and harnessed to reach their full potential. Like Leopold Mozart, the responsibility to open this package and guide a child to reach their potential lies with the commitments of not just parents alone but communities especially Black predominant communities. Like the Wolfgang Riebe, author and management specialist quotes “Everyone is a gifted child, but most people never open their package”.

As the world celebrates the International Day of the Boy Child, the importance of the well-being of not just the Black boy child but also all children especially in securing positive development and the harnessing of their talent cannot be overemphasized.

While it is obvious that several children show remarkable potential at an early age, it is vital to realize that all Black children are blessed with potential for greatness in any field as long as intentional efforts are put in place to shield them from the societal stereotypes that can have a negative effect on their development.

Education and mentorship stands out as the foundation to achieving this. While many argue on the influence of environment in shaping the capacity of Black child reaching their full potential, many stories abound of successful Black individuals who have seized the opportunity education provides to rewrite their fortunes and make a difference in the world. It is to this parents and communities must leverage on to harness the talents of the next generation into leaders, innovators, athletes and accomplished individuals.

The miracle which God let be born must not be allowed to wither in the shadows of socio-economic disparities.

Okechukwu Nzeribe works with the Onitsha Chamber of Commerce, in Anambra State, Nigeria, and loves unveiling the richness of African cultures. nextquestservices@gmail.com