In the heart of the 18th century, a period rife with the degradation and enslavement of Black people across the British Empire, Francis Williams stood as a remarkable exception. Born free in Jamaica, Williams broke barriers as an intellectual, writer, and mathematician. He challenged the societal norms of his time, when Black people were largely regarded as property, not people. However, one of his most astonishing contributions to history has long been buried under layers of misunderstanding—his groundbreaking work in astronomy, which was captured in a portrait that was, for centuries, mistaken as a satire.