Black History Facts you should know

When I was attending school in my history class there was very little in the way of contributions made by African-Americans.  As a child, not seeing this made many of us feel less than worthy of the title Americans.  During the month of February, we learned a little more but it was mostly about the same people and that made me wonder why no other African-Americans donated anything to this nation.  I am glad to say that I was wrong and it is imperative that any course called American History include all American’s contribution.

Case in point, Garrett A Morgan (1877 – 1963) in 1907 he had a patent for an improved sewing machine.  He patented a ‘breathing device’ (1914), a hood that allowed the wearer to breathe safely in the presence of smoke, gases, and other pollutants.  He patented his automatic traffic signal (1923) and sold it to the General Electric Co. or how about Daniel Hale Williams ( 1858 – 1931 ) an American physician and founder of Provident Hospital in Chicago, credited with the first successful heart surgery and finally Granville T. Woods ( 1856 – 1919 )whose first invention was for an improved steam boiler furnace.  His second improved telephone transmitter. The patent for his device combining the telephone and telegraph was bought by Alexander Graham Bell but one of his most important and currently used inventions is the power pick-up device that is the basis of the so-called "third rail" used by electric-powered transit systems and patents for an improved air-brake system.   

These are just a few taken from www.biogarphy.com/blackhistory but there are so many more and probably many more that are no even listed on this site.  Basically it tells us that there are products we use right now that was the “brain-child” of someone from the African-American community so our children should never again feel less than worthy of the title American.

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