Gina Heslop
There are some heroes who have made history with their discoveries that we do not learn in school, do not talk to them at dinning tables or just forget. In this month dedicated to Black People let’s learn about some people for whom history is not remembered or they are just used to avoiding them.
1. Harlem Hellfighters
His role and that of the army during World War I was very strong. His regiment was the first to face armys like France where they stayed at the front for 191 days. They were always the first to face the enemy. When the war ended and they returned to America faced racism until in 1919 marked the violence against Black Americans at the hands of white Americans.
2. Ronald McNair
When he was only 9 years old in South Carolina insisted on going to a library to study and read books. At that time Black people were not allowed to do such a thing. The librarian was forced to call the police and Robert’s mother. They came but the police allowed him to continue entering the library. By studying hard he earned his Ph.D. in physics at MIT and became one of the first African Americans selected as astronauts by NASA. On his first flight he successfully maneuvered the robotic arm. The second flight would be the last. As soon as the spaceship took off it exploded. Today the bookstore in South Carolina bears his name to honor his memory.
3. Bessie Coleman
She was the first woman pilot in the USA although Amelia Earhart is known for this. Her brother who was a World War I veteran and pilot helped Bessie on her way. Black People were not allowed to obtain the pilot’s license so she was forced to fly to France to obtain it. She returned to America in 1922 where she made her first flight on a borrowed plane. In 1926 he was thrown from a plane as punishment for making unauthorized maneuvers inside the US state airline.
4. Alexa Canady
Dr. Alexa Irene Canady broke taboos the moment she became the first black woman to graduate and become a neurosurgeon. She became interested in medicine when she became part of a genetics camp.
6. Gordon Parks
He was a photojournalist, musician, writer and film director who broke down the barriers of black people in the field of photography. He taught the profession himself and was the first Black man to produce and direct a major motion picture. Won The Congress of Racial Equality Lifetime Achievement Award.
7. Marian Anderson
Maria was a singer for opera and spirituals. Due to the color of her skin she could not perform on the big stage for a long time. With the help of Eleanor Roosevelt and President Franklin D. Roosevelt he was able to do this successfully.
8.Jane Bolin
She made a huge difference to society, becoming the first woman to graduate from law school and the first judge of color. Throughout her career she fought against discrimination and racism for people of color. After retiring he taught in various schools.
9. Robert Sengstacke Abbott
Born to slave parents in Georgia where after coming to America he became a journalist, attorney and editor. He was not allowed to publish articles in newspapers because of his skin color. Strongly defending his cause against discrimination, he began distributing leaflets door to door. He fought against Jim Crow laws and at one time popularized the anti-lynching slogan, “If you must die, take at least one with you.”
