Ramarni Wilfred is exceptional.
At age 11, an IQ test determined that he was reportedly smarter than Steven Hawking and Albert Einstein! Now 16, he’s still excelling in school. But how did he get here?
His mother, Anthea, explained that she didn’t do much - he’s been a genius since he was a toddler, reading and understanding the news, learning the Greek and Latin roots of words, and writing an essay that, at 10, got him invited to Oxford University, who set up the IQ test.
So how do we nurture the young, Black geniuses in our families and communities?
“All I have done is support [my children’s] interests and encourage them,” she said. She celebrated Ramarni’s early interest in books and learning, and didn’t push him into other paths.
Being too “book smart” can be seen as uncool. But it’s been shown that parents who celebrate a child’s interests and emphasize learning can encourage children to value education.
School can be a hostile place for Black children, but learning doesn’t only happen there.
Wilfred believes that family bonding time can also encourage learning: “We enjoy cultural holidays abroad … visiting historical places of interest … watch[ing] plays at the theatre and visit[ing] museums,” she said.
We celebrate this young genius and his supportive mother.
All Black children deserve to be encouraged and supported in their education like him!