Program Success Magazine Black History 2023 | Page 7

Well , he only invented the potato chip . We lose ice cream and popsicles . While Frederick McKinley Jones didn ’ t create the tasty treats , he is responsible for the refrigerated air cooling units in the trucks that carry them . We ’ d lose Madam C . J . Walker and all her contributions to Black hair .

Because I don ’ t trust America to care enough about these people to give them their just due in the context of American history ; I ’ d only expect America to continue to drink from the well of Black invention without ever acknowledging the person behind it . See , America has this thing of taking Black excellence and cozying it up next to whiteness to make it more palatable .

Granville T . Woods would hold more than 50 patents and become the first Black mechanical and electrical engineer . His work would revolutionize the train industry , and in 1885 , he would patent a device called “ telegraphony ,” which would allow users to send voice and telegraph messages through Morse code .

Sojourner Truth Abolitionist and Women ’ s Rights Activist

Woods even had a nickname given to him by people who thought he was a genius — they called him “ Black Edison .” Yes , that ’ s right , he was the Black version of Thomas Edison . Edison could ’ ve had a nickname as well . He could ’ ve been called “ White Latimer ,” considering the inventor received huge amounts of help from his Black apprentice , Lewis Latimer . But America would never have it this way .

But that ’ s the point of Black History Month ; to unearth these stories so that generations of children are shown that their legacy is rooted in creation . So that can see that they are also a part of the collective American dream , and their lineage is woven into the fabric of America . I wouldn ’ t trust these stories in the hands of teachers without a designated month , but who are we kidding ?

As it stands , Black voting rights are currently under attack , Colin Kaepernick is still without an NFL home for protesting the killing of unarmed Black men , women and children by police ( which is still happening ), and Sen . Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky .) doesn ’ t believe that Black people are Americans , too .

George Crum

Black Inventor The Potato Chip and more

And I know that the commercialization of Black History Month and the lip service paid by companies that barely employ , spend nominal advertising dollars with , or even care for Black people ( looking at you , Facebook ) feels patronizing , but that ’ s what happens when a well-meaning month gets lampooned by corporations . But that is to be expected ; corporations are going to corporate .

So we might have to say goodbye to the one month that reminds the rest of America of all of the contributions Black people made to this country despite being treated as interlopers . The one month that asked America to look at what grew from the seeds the country gave up on . It was the one month that ensured that schools with no intention to teach Black history had to hang up the wrinkled poster of Martin Luther King Jr . and perform his “ I have a dream ” speech . And it matters .

Black children need to see themselves in people who came before them . While I grew up in Chocolate City — where almost all of my teachers were Black until I went off to college — most Black kids can spend their entire school years without a Black teacher . Why is that important ? Well , a study found that Black students who have at least one Black teacher — just one — are more likely to go to college .

Granville T . Woods

Black Mechanical and Electrical Engineer

But remember , I didn ’ t say that I played Thurgood Marshall and Muhammad Ali — I said I was Thurgood Marshall and Muhammad Ali , and that matters .

It has to .

Because for Black children to be someone , they need to see someone . They need to know their history matters , even if the Critical Race Theory fights put Black History Month forever in jeopardy .

By Stephen A . Crockett Jr . Guest Columnist , The HuffPost

Madam C . J . Walker Entrepreneur / Philanthropist Black Hair Care