Archive for 5 random things
5 Amazing Firsts Accomplished by Barack Obama
Posted by: | Comments
In honor of Black History Month and Presidents Day, here are 6 accomplishments that Barack Obama was the first to achieve.
- Barack Obama is the first president born in Hawaii.
- Obama was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review.
- When Obama turned down public financing in June 2008, he became the first major-party presidential candidate to turn it down since it was first implemented in 1976.
- On September 24, 2009, Obama chaired a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, becoming the first sitting U.S. President in history to do so. The result of the meeting? UNSC Resolution 1887, which lays the groundwork for a world without nuclear weapons and probably helped to solidify Obama as the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner.
- Barack Obama is the first U.S. President to acknowledge and embrace his African heritage, but he is not America’s first black president. In fact, there is strong evidence that suggests that based on the one-drop rule, the following presidents were black:
- Thomas Jefferson
- Andrew Jackson
- Abraham Lincoln
- Warren Harding
- Calvin Coolidge
- Dwight Eisenhower
Bonus: When Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, he made her the first hispanic Supreme Court nominee in U.S. history.
For even more facts about Barack Obama, check out his book Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
5 Random Things About Paul Laurence Dunbar
Posted by: | Comments
Dunbar was honored with a U.S. Postage Stamp in 1975
Who is Paul Laurence Dunbar? He was the first African-American poet to receive national critical acclaim in the United States. He was so talented, in fact, that he has been called the Mark Twain of poetry. Tragically, tuberculosis and alcoholism cut his life short, and Dunbar died on February 9, 1906 at the age of 33. Here’s a collection of facts about America’s first critically acclaimed black poet.
- Paul Laurence Dunbar was the son of escaped slaves from Kentucky. His father, Joshua Dunbar, was a Civil War veteran, having served in the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and the 5th Massachusetts Colored Cavalry. Dunbar’s mother, Matilda, worked as a washerwoman in Dayton, Ohio. One of the families that she worked for was that of Wilbur and Orville Wright.
- The Wright brothers attended Dayton Central High with Dunbar and they remained lifelong friends, helping him publish an African-American newspaper, the Dayton Tattler.
- Despite being the only African-American student in his high school class, Dunbar was a member of the debate team, editor of the school newspaper, and president of the literary society.
- Dunbar’s poetry received such national acclaim that he was invited to recite his poetry at the 1893 World’s Fair, where he met Frederick Douglass who called him “the most promising young colored man in America.”
- Dunbar published his first collection of poems, Oak and Ivy, in 1892. However, he remained indebted to his publisher, so he had to work as an elevator operator to pay off the debt. As a shrewd salesman, he would attempt to sell his book to elevator riders for $1.
Bonus: According to The New Orleans Times-Picayune, the popular chant “Who dat?” in regards to the Saints may have been derived from a song that Dunbar wrote called, “Who Dat Say Chicken in dis Crowd.”
for just 99 cents! Don’t worry, the book is still available for you traditional book lovers, too:5 Random Things About Charles Richard Drew
Posted by: | Comments
Charles Drew was an African-American physician who pioneered the field of blood transfusions and in many eyes “invented” the blood bank. I put invented in quotation marks, because a blood bank is an idea, and there were already methods of blood storage, but Drew’s research greatly improved the length of time that blood could be stored. Drew also pioneered the concept of separating blood from plasma, and recognized that while there are separate blood types there is only one type of plasma. He was also vehemently opposed to the policy of racial segregation which stated that the blood from white donors should be separate from the blood from black donors. In honor of Black History Month, here are 5 more random facts about Charles Drew.
- Charles Drew was the first African-American to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Surgery.
- Charles Drew was the first African-American to receive a Doctor of Medical Science degree from Columbia University.
- Charles Drew was also an outstanding athlete. In high school he played football, baseball, basketball, track and field, and swimming, and won his high school’s award for best all-around athlete. In college, he captained the Amherst College track team and also played halfback on the football team, winning All-American honors in the latter.
- Before entering medicine, Charles Drew served as Athletic Director and head football coach for two years at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. The football team had a 8-2-2 record during that span.
- Charles Drew died from injuries sustained in a car accident on April 1, 1950. A popular urban legend states that he was denied a blood transfusion at an all-white hospital because of his race. However, this has been found to be untrue, as Drew suffered from massive internal injuries and a blood transfusion would not have helped him because his injuries were too severe.
If it wasn’t for the research and efforts of the real Dr. Drew, college students everywhere would have to find another way to sell their body for ramen.
5 Random Things About Rosa Parks: A Photo Essay
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday would have been Rosa Parks 97th birthday (God rest her soul). Since we’re having issues with the weather and electricity in western North Carolina I was unable to post this yesterday. Here is a collection of images that serve as a timeline of the life of Rosa Parks.
Prior to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks worked as a secretary for the NAACP. After an event, a few people were milling around in the parking lot, and somebody snapped a picture of Ms. Parks leaning on a car. Check out who’s in the background:
MLK photobombs Rosa Parks (1955)
Rosa Parks recounts the events on the day she refused to give up her seat:
“He pointed at me and said, ‘that one won’t stand up.’ The two policemen came near me and only one spoke to me. He asked me if the driver had asked me to stand up? I said, ‘yes.’ He asked me why I didn’t stand up, … I told him I didn’t think I should have to stand up. So I asked him: ‘Why do you push us around?’ And he told me, ‘I don’t know, but the law is the law and you are under arrest.’”
Rosa Parks Mugshot (1955)
Rosa Parks wasn’t the first person to refuse to give up her seat when ordered to, nor did she initially wish to organize a boycott. However, due to the publicity and support received from other civil rights activists, Parks assisted in organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Due to a 1921 law prohibiting interference with the bus system, Parks was indicted again, this time in February 1956:
Rosa Parks booked for organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1956)
The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted for 13 months. Having exhausted the appeals process, the city was forced to integrate their buses on December 21, 1956. Several photographers followed Parks on that historic day, one of which snapped this epic photo:
Rosa Parks first ride at the front of the bus (1956)
Rosa Parks earned many accolades because of that fateful day over 50 years ago including the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal, as well as being named by Time magazine as one of the 20 most influential people of the 20th century. When Rosa Parks passed away in 2005, President George W. Bush ordered all flags flown at half-staff in her honor. Also, she was given the posthumous honor of lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Parks was the first American, non-government official to be granted that honor, and only the second African American.
Rosa Parks receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bill Clinton (1996)
At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in.
5 Random Things About 5 Forgotten Black Inventors
Posted by: | CommentsSome things are just common knowledge. For example, everyone knows that George Washington Carver invented the peanut and that Thomas Edison invented electricity[!]. These people don’t need any extra push because history has been kind to them. Instead, this post is dedicated to the unsung heroes who create stuff that we take for granted everyday. In honor of Black History Month, here are 5 black inventors who have been overshadowed for one reason or another.
Lewis Latimer: When Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb in 1879, he used carbon filaments to light the bulb. Unfortunately, the filaments only lasted about 40 hours before the light bulb would die and be useless. Thus, a process of manufacturing enough filaments would be necessary in order to manufacture light bulbs. Enter Lewis Latimer, who as a member of the Edison Pioneers invented a process to improve the manufacture of carbon filaments in 1882. Prior to his work with Edison, though, Latimer patented an improved toilet system for railroad cars in 1874. Factoid: The Edison Pioneers was a very prestigious group of inventors who included Nikola Tesla and Henry Ford.
Elijah McCoy: McCoy was such a prolific inventor that in 1909, Booker T. Washington recognized him as producing more inventions than any other black inventor. Over his lifetime, McCoy filed for 57 U.S. patents, mostly related to lubricating steam engines, but also one for a folding ironing board, and another for a lawn sprinkler. Factoid: A popular myth is that the phrase “The Real McCoy” was created to refer to his inventions, but this is not true. The phrase dates to the 1850s and McCoy’s first patent was in the 1870s.
Garrett A. Morgan: Morgan invented the safety hood and smoke protector, the predecessor to the modern gas mask, after hearing about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in 1911. In 1916, Morgan was able to demonstrate the device when he used it during a rescue in a tunnel under Lake Erie. Morgan also invented a T-shaped, crank operated traffic signal. Factoid: Garrett Morgan was the first black person in Cleveland, Ohio to own an automobile.
Norbert Rillieux: Rillieux invented the multiple-effect evaporator (pictured) in the 1820s. I won’t get into how the evaporator works (I’m no chemical engineer), but it was instrumental in modernizing the sugar refining industry. Prior to Rillieux’s invention, sugar processing was an expensive, slow task. With the evaporator, refiners could process up to 18,000 pounds of sugar in one day. Factoid: Rillieux’s father was White and his mother was Creole. As such he is included on this list based on America’s “one-drop rule.”
Granville T. Woods: Woods patented many processes to improve safety and communication on the railroads. One of his more interesting inventions, though, was the telegraphony, which could allow telegraph companies to send voice and telegrams over the same line. We take it for granted today, but before the telegraphony, people had to do their talking and texting separately. Factoid: Granville Woods is sometimes referred to as the “Black Thomas Edison” because of his contributions during the age of invention.
For even more info on this subject check out the book Black Inventors, Crafting Over 200 Years of Success:
5 Random Things About Carter G. Woodson
Posted by: | Comments
Illustrated bio of Carter Woodson from 1943 (Click to Enlarge)
You’re probably wondering who Carter G. Woodson is, and you are right to do so, as he’s not as well-known as other African-Americans. However, his place in history is undeniable, for it is Woodson who founded Black History Month. Well, to be accurate, he founded Negro History Week, but the Week was eventually expanded to a full month. Woodson found the exclusion of black history from most textbooks to be a travesty, and he devoted his life to promoting the idea that the history of the black race is more than just of slavery and oppression. For his work, he is considered the Father of Black History. Here are 5 facts about Carter G. Woodson.
- Carter G. Woodson earned his Ph.D in History from Harvard University, becoming only the second African-American to do so.
- Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915.
- Woodson founded The Journal of Negro History, which is still in publication today as The Journal of African-American History.
- Woodson was a regular columnist for Marcus Garvey’s weekly publication Negro World.
- Woodson wrote possibly his most well-known work, The Mis-Education of the Negro, in 1933. Here’s a great quote from that book, which speaks not just to black people, but to human nature, in general:
“When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”
Bonus: Carter Woodson’s home is on the National Register of Historic Places. However, it has been vacant since the early 1990s and as such is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” Visit the NTHP website to learn how you can help save the home of the Father of Black History.
5 Random Things About Jerome David Salinger
Posted by: | Comments
J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye, passed away yesterday, January 27th, at the age of 91. In honor of the author who wrote one of the best-selling novels of the 20th century, here are 5 random facts about J.D. Salinger.- J.D. Salinger published The Catcher in the Rye in 1951. It is the only novel he ever published.
- Salinger did not enjoy the notoriety he received after publishing The Catcher in the Rye. So, he moved to Cornish, New Hampshire in 1953 where he lived in seclusion for the next 57 years.
- Over 65 million copies of The Catcher in the Rye have been sold in the 59 years since its publication, making it one of the top 20 bestselling books in history.
- Similar to Kurt Vonnegut, another of my favorite authors, Salinger fought in World War II. He was part of the Normandy landing at Utah Beach and took part in the Battle of the Bulge.
- Salinger once dated Oona O’Neill, the daughter of playwright and Nobel laureate Eugene O’Neill. They parted ways in 1941, and O’Neill went on to marry Charlie Chaplin.
Bonus: James Stern of The New York Times gave The Catcher in the Rye a negative review back in 1951. Unfortunately, it is a paid link so I don’t know why he didn’t like it. However, judging by it’s title, “Aw, the World’s a Crumby Place,” Stern may not have liked the tone of the novel. Anyone with a subscription to the NYT care to take a gander then come back and tell us about it?
