February is upon us and with it comes the annual celebration of Black History Month. Born from it’s origins as “Negro History Week,” created by historian Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month has been officially recognized every year since 1976. Over time, the dedication of a month to acknowledge and celebrate Black history has been adopted by other countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. 

It is no secret that the widespread education of Black history has been stifled over the years, with the historically significant achievements of many influential Black figures going largely unknown by each passing generation. The only way to counter this erasure is to take the responsibility of education upon ourselves. This series is our way of exploring some of the Black changemakers that have made a lasting impact on our world. Join us as we honor them and draw inspiration from their trailblazing accomplishments that paved the way for changemakers everywhere! 

The category is…STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)!

Katherine Johnson: We’ve all seen the movie Hidden Figures, but the true story behind Katherine Johnson is something Hollywood could not duplicate. Before we had the calculator on our phones or Texas Instruments in high school, Johnson was the human calculator who worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the 1960s. At this time, America was entering the space race with Russia, attempting to prove that they had superior science and technology capabilities. Johnson worked on trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard’s (the first American in space) Freedom 7 Mission in 1961, and John Glenn’s Orbital Mission in 1962.

Mae Jemison: If Katherine Johnson ran, it surely was for Mae Jemison to fly and float. Jemison is an astronaut and aerospace engineer who was the first African American woman in space on the Endeavour space shuttle in 1992.

Benjamin Banneker: Banneker was, among many other things, a mathematician and astronomer in the late 18th century. He is best known for writing and publishing a popular almanac that included astronomical calculations, commentaries, and tidal information. He is also known for building the first clock in the US made entirely of wood.

George Washington Carver: Carver was an agricultural scientist and inventor that developed a crop rotation method to assist in the growth of cotton. One rotational plant Carver is famous for popularizing is the peanut. In using the peanut to infuse the soil with nitrates during the crop rotations, Carver also invented multiple ways to use the peanut crop. Some inventions included peanut based soaps, cosmetics, wood steins, cooking oils, and over 300 other inventions.

Granville Woods: Regarded as the “Black Edison”, Woods received more than 50 patents for his inventions. Some inventions included the automatic brake and the "telegraphony," a combination telephone and telegraph that could send messages by voice or Morse code.

Check out the other stories in this series.

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