Cultural Month Celebration: Black History Month

Katie Solomon ‘21, Staff Writer

In 1926, African American historian, Carter G. Woodson created a week-long celebration to acknowledge the achievements and triumphs of African Americans. Since its initial creation, the single week to recognize black history has expanded into a month-long event.

Image of Carter G. Woodson, Courtesy of West Virginia State Archives, Ancella Bickley Collection

“If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world.”Carter G. Woodson 1875-1950

 

Why Was Black History Month Created? 

The “Father of Black History ” Carter G. Woodson believed that African Americans must know and recognize their history in order to ever become unified. The institution of slavery prevented Black Americans from obtaining extensive knowledge on their history before the African Diaspora. Furthermore, the discrimination blacks faced within the United States interfered with the official recognition of their current victories in society. Even colleges for African Americans -which were run and started by white men- did not promote the teaching of black history and achievements in their curriculum. Woodson wanted to instill a sense of self-affirmation for African-Americans who had only been taught an oppressive history. Therefore, he founded “Negro History Week” which would later become Black History Month.

Here are 29 African Americans for each day of Black History Month. Each of these successful individuals have marked milestones in history, not just for African Americans but for the world.

29 African American Figures

  1. Onesimus- a West African man brought to the United States in bondage who introduced the procedure of inoculation to the colonies in 1721.

 

2. Hiram Rhodes Revels- the first African American to be elected into the U.S. Senate.

Image of Hiram Rhodes Revels, Courtesy of the Library of Congress

 

  1. John Mercer Langston- the first black man to become a lawyer.

Image of John Mercer Langston, Courtesy of the Library of Congress
  1. Allen Allensworth- the founder of the only California community “Allensworth” to be founded, run, and occupied solely by African Americans.
Image of Allen Allensworth, Courtesy of the African American Registry

 

  1. Cathay Williams- the first and only female Buffalo soldier. In order to gain this position she posed as male but was later discovered by a doctor.
Image of Cathay Williams, Courtesy of the U.S. Army
  1. Elijah McCoy- inventor of lubrication devices used to make train travel more efficient.
Image of Elijah McCoy, Courtesy of National Inventors Hall of Fame

 

  1. George Washington Carver- an African-American man who discovered over 300 different uses for peanuts, including cooking oil, and printer’s ink.
Image of George Washington Carver, Courtesy of Britannica
  1. Matthew Henson- an important member of the first successful expedition to the North Pole.
Image of Matthew Henson Courtesy of Robert E. Peary, National Geographic
  1. Madam C.J. Walker- the inventor of a line of products for African American hair. Walker was considered the wealthiest African-American businesswoman and wealthiest self-made woman in America during her time.
Image of Madam C.J. Walker, Courtesy of the National Women’s History Museum
  1. Garrett Morgan- the inventor of the three-way traffic signal and the gas mask.
Image of Garrett Morgan, Courtesy of National Inventors Hall of Fame
  1. John Baxter Taylor- the first African-American to win an Olympic gold medal.
Image of John Baxter Taylor, Courtesy of Getty Images
  1. Hattie McDaniel- first black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Image of Hattie McDaniel, Courtesy of the Classic Movie Hub
  1. Charles Drew- a pioneer in the method of storing blood plasma for transfusion.
Image of Charles Drew, Courtesy of Getty Images
  1. Josephine Baker- an African American performer who later smuggled military intelligence to French allies during the Second World War.
Image of Josephine Baker, Courtesy of The Official Site of Josephine Baker
  1. Jackie Robinson-the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.
Image of Jackie Robinson, Courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame 
  1. Otis Boykin- the inventor of IBM computers, burglar-proof cash register, chemical air filters, and an electronic resistor used in controlled missiles.
Image of Otis Boykin, Courtesy of National Inventors Hall of Fame
  1. Esther Jones- a female jazz singer who was the original “Betty Boop.”
Image of Esther Jones, Courtesy of Google Images 
  1. Marie Van Brittan Brown-the inventor of the first home security system.
Image of Marie Van Brittan Brown, Courtesy of Wikimedia
  1. Quincy Jones- the most Grammy-nominated artist in history.
Image of “Quincy Jones with his Grammys,” Courtesy of Getty Images / Timothy A. Clary / AFP
  1. Diane Judith Nash- an African American female civil rights activist who founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.
Image of Diane Judith Nash, Courtesy of Getty Images
  1. Gerald Lawson-the inventor of disc-based home video games.
Image of Gerald Lawson, Courtesy of Google Images 
  1. Patricia Era Bath- Inventor of the Laserphaco Probe which is used to remove cataracts.
Image of Dr. Patricia Era Bath, Courtesy of Eraka Bath
  1. Robert Johnson-the first African American billionaire and founder of Black Entertainment Television.
Image of “Robert Johnson,” Courtesy of Getty Images 
  1. Lonnie G. Johnson- inventor of the Super Soaker and  Aerospace Engineer for NASA.
Image of “Lonnie G. Johnson With his Super-Soaker” Courtesy of The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
  1. Alexa Canady- the first female African-American neurosurgeon in the United States.
Image of  Alexa Canady, Courtesy of Google images 
  1. Mae Jemison- the first African American woman to go into space.
Image of Mae Jemison, Courtesy of NASA, [Public Domain]
  1. Halle Berry- first black woman to win an Oscar for Best Leading Actress.
Image of “Halle Berry with her Oscar,” Courtesy of Peter Brooker/REX/Shutterstock
  1. Kobe Bryant- the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
Image of “Kobe Bryant with his Oscar,” Courtesy of Getty Images 
  1. Misty Copeland- the first African American female principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre.
Image of Misty Copeland courtesy of Misty Copeland Official Website