Black History 365: Celebrating Powerful Trailblazers

Black History Month serves as a vehicle to spark great conversations about all the accomplishments that Black people have made! But, when you sit and think about “Black History Month” it becomes clear how silly it is to boil all of these tremendous accomplishments down to just one month. SO why not celebrate it all the time! That thought inspired this post!

I’ve included a few interesting Black History tidbits from around the web below to kick off the first week of Black History Month. As I continue to learn more facts, I’ll come back to update this post all year long. Check back often! #BlackHistory365 🙂

Source: Ebony

DR. BARBARA ROSS-LEE

Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee (born June 1, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan) is a physician and the first African-American woman to become a medical school dean.

Then, in 1969, she entered Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. Ross-Lee then went on to open her own private family practice, teach as a professor, and hold other positions within the medical community, until 1993 when she was elected as the first woman dean of a medical school, at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Keep Reading >>

Bonus Fact: Her sister is Diana Ross!

Source: BBC News

DR. GLADYS WEST

Dr. Gladys West was hired at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia in 1956. She was only one of four Black employees, and the second Black woman ever hired. West worked as a programmer and analyzed satellite data. She was able to use satellite data to put together altimeter models of the Earth’s shape with extreme precision. She was then recommended to work as the project manager for the Seasat radar altimetry project, the first satellite that could remotely sense oceans.

Through the mid-70s and 80s, Dr. West programmed an IBM computer to provide extremely precise calculations to model the shape of the Earth, a geoid, optimized for what eventually became the Global Positioning System (GPS) orbit. Not only was Dr. West’s technology the most instrumental in the creation of the GPS, but there would also be no GPS without Dr. West. Keep Reading >>

Bonus Fact: She’s one of the women who were featured in the popular Hidden Figures movie!

Source: Unknown

THE HISTORY BEHIND BRAIDING PATTERNS

“Braiding started in Africa with the Himba people of Namibia,” says Alysa Pace of Bomane Salon. “These people have been braiding their hair for centuries. In many African tribes, braided hairstyles were a unique way to identify each tribe. Braid patterns and hairstyles were an indication of a person’s tribe, age, marital status, wealth, power, and religion.

Certain styles come from all over the world:

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Bonus Fact: Rice was hidden in braids in order to help slaves survive the Middle Passage.(Source)

Source: Unknown

ANNA M. MANGINA

Anna M. Mangin was an American inventor. She got the patent for the pastry fork (similar to a modern-day spatula) on March 1, 1892, in Queens, New York. The pastry fork is an attachment that electrically mixes without the need for arm work. This tool had many uses, including beating eggs, thickening foods, making drawn butter, mashing potatoes, making salad dressings, and most importantly, kneading pastry dough. This improved the lives of many people, and eventually lead to more electric mixing inventions that are used to this day. 

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