"Presumption should never cause us to overlook what appears to be simple to us, nor despair cause us to lose spirit in the face of challenges." Bad communication taints good manners. Good communications keep people up-to-date on each other's feelings without being hurtful. It's a delicate balance that requires respect on both sides. Banneker was an American black civil servant and surveyor who became well known for his work as a mathematician and astronomer during the early years of Washington, D.C. He is most famous for calculating the latitude and longitude of the city via lunar distance measurements, which was quite an accomplishment for its time. Banneker was born into slavery in 1731 or 1732 (sources vary) in Stafford County, Virginia. His owner gave him the nickname "Ben," which is how he came to be known as "Benjamin" after his owner died. In 1791, Banneker published A Brief Narrative of the Life of Benjamin Banneker, an African American Mathematician Who Calculated the Meridian Line for George Washington. The book was written by Banneker's friend and colleague Henry Lee III and served as motivation for Banneker to share his story with others.