Black History Month is celebrated in February. In reality Black History should be celebrated daily. There is so much still that needs to be shared about Black History.
***Good News***
1. Black Women’s Army Corps
In Birmingham, these women confronted warehouses stacked to the ceiling with letters and packages. These buildings were unheated and dimly lit, the windows blacked out to prevent light showing during nighttime air raids, rats sought out packages of spoiled cakes and cookies according to history.army.mil. They further added that despite the fact that there was hostility and resentment that black women were allowed in the Army they created a new mail tracking system and averaged 65,000 pieces of mail per shift and cleared six-month backlog of mail in three months. This is only a fraction of many of the things that they accomplished.
2. Ellen Garrison Clark
During the Civil War, Ellen worked as an educator in a private school and worked throughout Virginia and Maryland with the American Missionary Association, where, in the face of hostile racism, she taught formerly enslaved peopled to read and write according to laul.org. They further talked about this activity came at a high cost, and she had to endure beatings, harassment, degradation, and being stoned in the street.
3. Mary Van Brittan Brown
She was an African American nurse who devised an early security unit for her own home. According to history.com she invented a system that used a camera that could slide into and look through four peepholes in her front door, the view would then appear on a monitor in her home for her surveillance. She also added a microphone to speak to anyone at the door, a button to unlock the door, and a button to contact the police. They further added that she and her husband took out a patent for the system and they were awarded the patent three years later in 1969.
4. Honorable Josiah W. Begole
Did you know that this man’s home in Flint, Michigan was the headquarters for the Underground Railroad in Flint, Michigan. His job as station Master was to be the keeper of the safe house for escaped slaves. They further add that his job was to design a message using the code of the underground railroad for the escaped slaves to give to the next station master on their journey to Canada.
5. Tulsa Race Massacre
In 1907 Oklahoma became a state, but was still segregated. Black people secured their own houses, businesses, school systems, post office, banks, library, hospital and public transit, and much more with a growing population of 11,000. According to nbcnews.com the area became known as Black Wall Street. The massacre occurred after a 19-year-old black allegedly assaulted a white girl. There was a white mob of more than 2,000, there was fatal shooting of blacks, Old World War I airplane dropped bombs on Greenwood, their was looting and burning of homes. Sadly enough none of the blacks received any financial assistance to rebuild after the massacre and none of the 2,000 in the mob were ever brought to justice.
6. Voting Rights Act of 1965
Did you know that Blacks were given the right to vote by Congress but it was extended for five years in 1970, seven years in 1975, and 25 years in 1982 and 2006. So depending who is in Congress when the 25 years occurs they will vote again as to whether Blacks are allowed to vote.
7. Sarah Rector, 11-year-old richest black girl in 1913
Did you know that under the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887 freed enslaved black children were each granted 160 acres of land as Indian Territory integrated. Her father needed money and he leased his daughter’s parcel to a major oil company in order to pay their property tax. Two years later her fortune took a major turn when the independent oil driller B.B.Jones produced a gusher; thus Rector began earning more than $300 a day in 1913 which equates to $7,000-$8,000 today. Black Enterprise.com further adds that she generated $11,567 in October 1913.
8. Adam Crosswhite
According to Chosen Marshall.com in 1846 slave catchers tried to capture escaped slave Adam Crosswhite and his family in Marshall to return them to their owner in Kentucky. The citizens of Marshall arrested the slave catchers and smuggled the Crosswhite family into Canada. There were also instances where freed slaves were enslaved again because slave catchers swore that they were still slaves. They further added that in 1854 Senator Erastus Hussey from Battle Creek wrote and passed the Personal Liberty law stating is it was illegal within the State of Michigan to capture escaped slaves. I cannot imagine living during a time when blacks were only thought of as a piece of property and not human beings.
9. Number 44 – Barack Obama
Barack Obama became the first African American to be elected President in 2008. In 1992 he married Michelle Robinson, a lawyer who had also excelled at Harvard Law. The whitehouse.gov also further adds that during his first term he signed their signature bills; and omnibus bill to stimulate the economy, and pressed for a fair pay act for women, and much more. Did you know that he was also elected to a 2nd term? He spent 8 years in the white house. I never imagined that I would see a color of person like me in the White House during my lifetime. I am so proud and honored to have witnessed this historical time. As my grandson once said he wants to grow up and become President so he can make changes in the world. I do not doubt what he has said either.
10. Cornrows
Did you know that cornrows (cornrow hair braiding) were used as a sign of resistance for slaves because they used it as maps to escape from slavery and they could hide rice or seeds into their braids on their way to enslavement. Houseofbraidla.com further adds that to this day many of color are discriminated because of the texture and braid styles in corporate settings; thus many even get fired for wearing braids or dreads.
Do you know of other famous black people or events that you can share?
Source:
6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion
Recognizing Ellen Garrison Clark
8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier
Michigan’s Underground Railroad
Tulsa Race Massacre, 100 years later: Why it happened and why it’s stillrelevant today
Amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Mee tSarah Rector, the 11-year-old who became the richest black girl inAmerica in 1913
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10 comments:
Even though I am black, I never knew all of the things you've said about Black History Month. Thanks for sharing
Your most welcome MKTProfit. I also learned a few things while doing this research as well. It was amazing to me. Thanks for stopping by.
Wow Sarah Rector was a prospering kid. Amazing to earn that type of coin back then at any age. Super inspired stuff here Betty.
Ryan
Thank you for sharing these informative facts about Black History Month. There are always so many things to learn. I appreciate the research you did and the time you took to gather this information.
This post is so informative! I learned so much with regard to black history month. Thanks for sharing this!
I knew a couple of these facts, but a lot of them were new to me. I really appreciate you sharing these Black History month tidbits, otherwise I would have missed out on this dose of knowledge.
Thanks. Thanks for stopping by Ryan.
Your welcome Lisa. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate you as well.
Your welcome Sarah. I appreciate you for stopping by.
Thanks Unknown for stopping by.
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