For many years, African Americans battled for Black History Month. Only 49 years ago, in 1976, this month was formally acknowledged and dedicated to the African Americans who worked day and night to prove to America that they were human beings with equal abilities to the rest of society. African Americans have made significant contributions to society by establishing new standards for their intelligence and potential, from creating the first automatic elevator doors (Alexander Miles) to becoming self-made millionaires (Madam C.J. Walker). And as the month comes to an end, it becomes important to recognize these contributions.
Inventions
In 1881, African American inventor Lewis Latimer, the son of formerly enslaved people, created the first carbon light bulb filament that made light last days longer than the original model. After serving for the Union during the Civil War, Latimer began work at a patent law firm where he was recognized for his drafting patents skills. His talents captured the attention of the U.S. Electric Lighting Company, making him a direct competitor to Thomas Edison. In 1884, he worked with Edison at the Edison Electric Light Company.
With only an elementary school education, Black inventor Garrett Morgan, son of an enslaved parent, developed several inventions, including an improved sewing machine and the gas mask. However, his most famous invention was the three-light traffic system in the 1920s. After witnessing a severe accident at an intersection in Cleveland, Ohio, he added a “yielding” light to the traffic light system instead of just “stop” and “go,” earning him Patent No. 1,475,074.
Accomplishments
Mae Jemison, born Oct.17, 1956, attended both Stanford and Cornell universitiy before becoming a Peace Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa. After returning to the U.S., she achieved the lifelong dream of becoming the first female African American astronaut to fly into space as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992 for NASA. At 68 years old, Jemison works as a scientist and public speaker.
Thurgood Marshall, born in 1908, graduated from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1930. He was rejected from the University of Maryland Law School because he was Black, but received his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1933, graduating first in his class. He argued 32 cases throughout his career and won 29; one of his most famous cases was the groundbreaking 1954 Brown v. Board of Education. President John F. Kennedy nominated Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1961. Four years later, President Lyndon B. Johnson named Marshall U.S. solicitor general, and on Aug. 30, 1967, Marshall was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and joined the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the first Black justice.
Societal changes
The Civil Rights Movement lasted from 1954 to 1968 and involved many African Americans, who we still know today, such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and many others. This movement aimed to abolish discrimination and systemic oppression against African Americans. Many people banded together and encouraged each other to stand up and speak out for what’s right and wrong. Despite many incidents that caused drawbacks, like the constant occurrence of lynchings, police brutality, etc., they still stood firm and pressed on.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant change in the government and society of African Americans. This act prohibited employment, educational, and public discrimination by color of skin, race, sex, origin, etc.
On June 6, 1963, President John F. Kennedy urged the nation to take action toward equal treatment of every American regardless of race. Soon after, Kennedy proposed that Congress consider civil rights legislation addressing voting rights, public accommodations, school desegregation, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs, and more.
Despite John F. Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963, his proposal culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law just a few hours after Congress passed it on July 2, 1964, with Martin Luther King Jr. by his side.
