Black history

According to Wikipedia, Black History Month was “…created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association For The Study Of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be ‘Negro History Week.’”

When I was growing up, it was called “Black History Week.” I learned much later after I graduated from college that African-Americans contributed to make society better, but was not initially recognized for their achievements.

History books mention Thomas Edison for inventing the light bulb and Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the telephone. However, Latimer, an African-American, was hired as a office boy by Crosby & Gould patent law office. Latimer “…taught himself mechanical drawing and drafting by observing the work of draftsmen…” The partners noticed his talent and “…promoted him to draftsmen…”

Latimer helped “…draft the patent for Bell’s design of the telephone.” www.biography.com Jan 2021. Latimer also helped Edison in the field of incandescent lighting.

Garrett Morgan witnessed an accident between a car and a horse and went on to invent the traffic signal. Later, Morgan’s invention of a safety hood was used in a natural gas explosion by himself and white volunteers who rescued more than 20 crew members.

As the white volunteers were recognized with medals and cash prizes for heroism, Morgan was not initially recognized for Carnegie Medal For Heroism even though more than 500 fire departments bought his invention. “Black Edison: The 20th Century’s Prolific, Oft-Forgotten Inventor”, www.thehustle.com., Nov 2020

I would not be surprised to go to heaven and hear about the number of African-Americans that had the seed of breakthroughs that could have helped society but were prevented due to racism and bias. What about the cure for cancer and other ailments that could have been eliminated?

Vincent White

Lancaster