(IN)VISIBLE HISTORIES IN SCIENCE. I. CHEIKH ANTA DIOP: A BLACK BODY IN PHYSICS

Abstract

This article discusses the life and scientific production of Cheikh Anta Diop, one of the greatest scientists and intellectuals of the twentieth century. The aim of this paper is to reflect on how Diop's diverse background was key to him innovate and create ideas that revolutionised modern science. First and foremost, we perform a brief biographical investigation to problematize the absence of the black body in the History of Science, especially in the Exact Sciences and, second, to show that the biography of black intellectuals in the history of physics of the twentieth century, sometimes still influenced by the Scientific Racism, is fundamental to understanding the black anti-racist experience and the invisibility of these intellectuals in classroom pedagogical practices, books and historical records of science. We argue that the historiography as well as science education must take into account the invisible alterities to promote liberating and inclusive science education and communication in the 21st century.