Black history is American history.
I remember the days of encyclopedias and the card catalog. I remember the days when most online research was conducted in a public library or university library. Today, we have 24-hour access to personal computers at our fingertips – in our hands and on our arms. We are living and writing Black history daily.
Black history is more than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Shirley Chisholm, Thurgood Marshall, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Mary McCleod Bethune, Charles Drew, Madam CJ Walker, W.E.B. DuBois, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Sojourner Truth, and Barack Obama.
Black history is more than James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Jackie Robinson, Althea Gibson, Muhammad Ali, Florence Griffith Joyner, John Lewis, Dorothy Height, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, and Mahalia Jackson.
Black history is more than Russell Simmons, Sylvia Robinson, Bob Johnson, Cathy Hughes, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Mae Jemison, Charles Drew, Beyonce’, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Shonda Rhimes, and John Singleton.
The refrigerated truck, the Super Soaker, the mailbox, the traffic light, peanut butter, and the first clock were all invented by Black people.
Patricia Bath, a Howard University graduate, created the laserphaco probe in 1986 for laser cataract surgeries. With this device, Bath was able to restore the sight of several individuals who had been blind for over 30 years. Bath was also the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent.
What do you know about Stacey Abrams, Constance Baker Motley, Sharon Pratt Kelly, Ursula Burns, Coretta Scott King, Rosalind Brewer, Karen Bass, Debra Lee, Shirley Clarke Franklin, and Condoleeza Rice?
What new things have you learned about Black excellence and the contributions of Black people in America during Black History Month 2021?
Related: Welcome to Black History Month 2021
Nicki Sanders, MSW, CEO, is a Career and Empowerment Strategist who helps high-performing women of color in management go from overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated to energized, well paid, and appreciated. Through Nicki Sanders Leadership Consulting, she also helps businesses recruit, hire, train, and retain great employees. Nicki has an extensive background in developing and managing successful programs and leading high-functioning multi-disciplinary teams. She is an accomplished professor, coach, trainer, and group facilitator who has combined her gift for authentic relationships, Master of Social Work degree, and over 20 years of diverse work experience to create a life she loves. Nicki is a lover of cupcakes, travel, and 80’s hip hop and R&B music.
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