We are still talking Black History and today I want to share some Blacks you should know. The same Blacks are typically talked about every year around this time, but there are so many more you probably have never heard of. We are changing that today. So read on and continue to learn why being Black is so lit!
Bessie Coleman - Despite being the first licensed Black pilot in the world, Coleman wasn’t recognized as a pioneer in aviation until after her death. Though history has favored Amelia Earhart or the Wright brothers, Coleman—who went to flight school in France in 1919—paved the way for a new generation of diverse fliers like the Tuskegee airmen, Blackbirds, and Flying Hobos.
Alice Coachman - Growing up in Albany, Georgia, the soon-to-be track star got an early start running on dirt roads and jumping over makeshift hurdles. She became the first African American woman from any country to win an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She set the record for the high jump at the Games, leaping to 5 feet and 6 1/8 inches. Throughout her athletic career, she won 34 national titles—10 of which were in the high jump. She was officially inducted into the National Track-and-Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Jane Bolin - A pioneer in law, Jane Bolin was the first Black woman to attend Yale Law School in 1931. In 1939, she became the first Black female in the United States, where she served for 10 years. One of her significant contributions throughout her career was working with private employers to hire people based on their skills, as opposed to discriminating against them because of their race. She also served on the boards of the NAACP, Child Welfare League of America, and the Neighborhood Children’s Center.
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler - Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first Black female doctor in the United States. After attending the prestigious Massachusetts private school West-Newton English and Classical School, she worked as a nurse for eight years until applying to medical school in 1860 at the New England Female Medical College. She was accepted and would go on to graduate four years later. Though little is known of her career, PBS reported that she worked as a physician for the Freedman’s Bureau for the State of Virginia. She later practiced in Boston's predominantly Black neighborhood at the time, Beacon Hill, and published A Book of Medical Discourses in Two Parts.
Mary Fields - Known as "Stagecoach Mary", Fields was the first African-American to work for the U.S. postal service. Born a slave, she was freed when slavery was outlawed in 1865. At age 63, Fields was hired as a mail carrier because she was the fastest applicant to hitch a team of six horses. She never missed a day, and her reliability earned her the nickname "Stagecoach". If the snow was too deep for her horses, Fields delivered the mail on snowshoes, carrying the sacks on her shoulders.
Mark Dean - If you’re reading this on a personal computing device, you’ve got Mark Dean to thank. The scientist and inventor was a trailblazer in the field of computing. He studied engineering in college and started working with I.B.M. soon after earning his degree. At I.B.M., Dean quickly moved up the ranks and developed three of the company’s nine original patents. Among his projects were the first color computer monitor and the first gigahertz chip, which performs a billion calculations a second.
Charles Follis - He became the first Black American professional football player. Follis was a gifted athlete who played football in high school and joined an amateur league in college. In 1904, he signed on with the Shelby Athletic Club in Ohio to become the first professional Black football player.
Georgia Ann Robinson - Georgia Ann Robinson was one of the first Black American women to be appointed as a police officer in the United States. A former governess, Robinson was a suffragette who worked tirelessly to make the world a better place for women and people of color. During World War I, there was a shortage of men and she was recruited to work as a police officer in Los Angeles. Though she initially worked on a volunteer basis, three years later she was promoted to the rank of a full-time officer. She retired after being hurt on the job but continued her volunteer work with the community.
Please keep in mind this is a very short list. As I said before, I challenge you to continue to do your research and learn as much as you can because Black history is American history and not just this month but 365 days a year.
As always, thanks for reading and make sure to find some JOY today and some history,
Crowned CaNesha
Reference:
Google…all of this and more is on google