Great Lives is a podcast from BBC Radio 4.

I hope you enjoy the program.

Today's Great Life is George Washington Williams,

an unbelievably mold-breaking self-made black intellectual who actually fought in the American

Civil War and went on to write the first history of African Americans.

Elected to the Ohio State Legislature, he became part of the first crop of serving

African American politicians. He met King Leopold of Belgium. He exposed that country's treatment

of Africans under Belgian colonial rule.

All this during the late 19th century when slavery was well within living memory.

Nominating the life of George Washington Williams is television presenter and

former Paralympic medalist Ade Ade Ade Ade Ade how did you come across this George Washington we We've all heard of the other one.

It was just a surprise actually. I was reading Adam Horschard's King Leopold's ghosts.

And then I came across this guy, George Washington Williams, and he just leapt out of the page at me and I just thought, how did a guy, I think he was a black-freed slave in the 1800s, how was he able to rise to prominence in such a difficult time for black people?

And it just fascinated me, blew me away all the stuff, and he was a bit of a rogue as well he was quite a complex character.

I had exactly the same response two days ago I knew nothing about it but now I'm finding out

about this person I don't wonder whether you feel some kinship with your great life. You say on your

website, though not in quite the words that George Washington Williams might have used,

I've never put a ceiling on my ambitions, I just found something that I love doing and work

my ass off for 16 years to turn my dreams into reality are you another George

Washington Williams there's a connection there.

He has that underdog mentality and he's come from nothing to where he is and he broke the mold.

And perhaps maybe that's what I've done a little bit as well and maybe that's the connection that I found

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