Often times, history books and historians themselves overlook the achievements of those who are not white males. Sometimes this isn’t their fault, sometimes it’s just the importance that society places on the achievements on the achievements of those who are white and male, even if others have done more important things. So, in honor of Black History Month (February), let's take a look at the achievements of those who the limelight has passed over.
Gwendolyn Brooks:
(1917-2000)
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Brooks moved to Chicago at a young age. Her first poem “Eventide” was published in American Childhood when she was just 13. She wrote poems about everyday urban life for African-Americans. Her first book, and the one that elevated her to national fame was the book, A Street in Bronzeville. Her second book, Annie Allen, won her the Pulitzer Prize, making her the first African-American female to earn the coveted prize. On May 6th, 1985 the Librarian of Congress, Daniel Boorstin, appointed her as the 29th Consultant in Poetry for the Library of Congress. And, in 1968 she became the poet laureate of Illinois.
Dr. M. Jocelyn Elders:
(1933-Present)
Born in Arkansas in 1933, she grew up in a 3 room cabin with her family, picking cotton for a living, and traveling 13 miles to school. She had an interest in science and medicine, and eventually rose up to become the director of the Arkansas Department of Health. After going to a conference in London, she decided to drastically expand sex education in schools. She opened 18 in-school clinics, four of which distributed contraceptives. Then, when Clinton became president, she was promoted to the U.S. Surgeon General, effectively becoming the first black female surgeon general.. Unfortunately, she was forced to resign, after her comments at an AIDS conference were misinterpreted. Throughout her whole career as surgeon general, conservatives placed enormous pressure on Clinton to fire her, as they disagreed with her outspoken views on drugs and sexuality.
Dr. Alexa Canady:
(1950-Present)
Dr. Alexa Canady was the first female African-American neurosurgeon. She started her career at the University of Michigan, earning a degree in zoology. After that, she realized she wanted to go into medicine, specifically pediatric care. After lots of hard work, she landed a place as a surgical intern at the Yale-New Haven Hospital. She graduated cum laude from medical school, and then completed a residency at the University of Minnesota. After she completed her residency, she became the first female African-American neurosurgeon. Also, from 1987-2001 she was a pediatric neurosurgeon and Chief of Neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital in Michigan.
Misty Copeland:
(1982-Present)
Misty Copeland, probably one of the more well known names on this list, had a rough beginning. Her mom had four successive marriages, finally settling down with one in California, even though he was abusive, and called her mom and her siblings racial slurs. After prodding from her drill team coach, she joined ballet classes at the girls and boys club that she attended. The coach, Cynthia Bradley, saw her potential and worked hard to put Copeland on pointe very quickly. When she was 13, Copeland moved in with Bradley, so she could continue her ballet career. However, after a summer intensive program at San Francisco Ballet, her mother wanted her back. Copeland and Bradley fought this, but eventually, when she was just 15, she moved back in with her mother. She took classes at the Lauridsen Centre until she did another summer intensive program at the American Ballet Theatre. After that, she joined the company in September 2000, and progressed to soloist by 2007. By then Misty Copeland had become the first female African-American principal dancer at a major classical dance company.
"You can do anything you want, even if you are being told negative things. Stay strong and find motivation." - Misty Copeland
Mae Jemison:
(1956-Present)
Mae Jemison attended Stanford at 16, and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering, and a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American studies. After that, she got her doctorate in medicine from Cornell. Then, she served 2 ½ years in the peace corps, in the African countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1987 she decided to chase her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, and was selected by NASA that year. After a couple years of training, in 1992 she was launched in the shuttle Endeavour with six other astronauts into Earth’s orbit. She left NASA only one year after the launch to teach at Dartmouth. She only taught a couple of years before leaving to create her business the Jemison Group, whose goal was to encourage a love of science in students.
"I want to make sure we use all our talent, not just 25 percent. Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live." - Mae Jemison
Annie Easley:
(1933-2011)
In 1955 Annie Easley started out her illustrious career as a ‘human computer’ (a person who does computations for researchers) for the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. When she was hired, she was one of only four African-American employees. Eventually, her job was taken over by a machine, but she still adapted. She became one of the first computer programmers, using systems like Formula Translating System (Fortran) and the Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to support a number of NASA’s programs. She was the person who developed and implemented code used in the battery for the Centaur upper stage rocket. Annie Easley was one of the first computer programmers and rocket scientists, all while facing prejudice, and being mercilessly judged.
“My head is not in the sand. But my thing is, if I can’t work with you, I will work around you. I was not about to be [so] discouraged that I’d walk away. That may be a solution for some people, but it’s not mine.” - Annie Easley
So, this February, let’s take some time to look at those whose accomplishments have been overlooked, and give them the moment of glory that they deserve.
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