Jasmine S.
Happy Black History month! Look at how far black people have come .We have endured , struggled, overcame , innovated and elevated into what is still being written . Black history should be celebrated all month long . I mean if anything, we DESERVE it .Although black
people are not always recognized for their efforts, our people have created and mastered so many different things to make this world a better place. Martin Luther King , Barack Obama , Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams are all easily identified as black powerful figures, but what about Gladys Mae West , Thomas Jennings , or Jerry Lawson. After asking several people if they knew who these individuals were, I noticed that none of them had any idea.
Without Gladys Mae West we may not have had directions for our next road trip. West is an American mathematician known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System better known as the “GPS”. Thomas L. Jennings is known as the first African American to receive a patent in the United States for his invention of an early form of dry cleaning called "dry scouring." Lastly, Lawson and his team had devised the first video game cartridge that would allow players to switch out to different games instead of needing them to be hardwired into the system.
Take this month to read more about your ancestors, innovators, pioneers, war leaders, and any other significant people in history that are African American.This month should be very important as it relates to what is happening today with racism and mistreatment. It should also be a gentle reminder of how compelling black people truly are. Our ancestors have paved the way in every way possible creating a life more powerful than we may never understand.