George Crum
The potato chip (aka crisps) was invented in 1853 by George Crum. The son of an African-American father and a Native American mother, Crum was a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in …
Granville T Woods “The Black Edison”
Many professionals in the electrical industry knew Granville T Woods as the “Black Edison”. Woods was considered by many to be the greatest electrician in the world. The most well-known of …
Elijah McCoy
Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada, on 2 May 1844. His parents were George and Emillia McCoy, former slaves from Kentucky who escaped through the Underground Railroad. George joined …
Henry Boyd – Black inventor
Henry Boyd was a skilled carpenter, born into slavery in Kentucky on 12 April 1802. At a young age, his master apprenticed Henry out to a cabinetmaker. Henry proved to have an impressive talent for …
The Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were an umbrella term for state and local laws which legalised racial segregation. African Americans were to be marginalised by these laws – which existed for about 100 years, …
Inventor Lewis Latimer
Lewis Latimer is regarded as one of the ten most significant Black inventors of all time, not just for his many inventions but also for his most famous discovery. Latimer was born on 4 September 1848 …
Alice Marie Coachman – First black woman to win an Olympic gold medal
Alice Marie Coachman (born 9 November 1923 in Albany, Georgia) is an American former athlete. She specialised in the high jump and became the first black woman to win an Olympic gold medal with …
Planning for the summer holidays
It’s that time of the year when people who can afford it are off on their holidays, the children are out of school and their boredom threshold has increased to unimaginable levels. Not everyone …
Weapons of Mass Destruction
President Bush has finally accepted responsibility for using suspect evidence about Iraq’s weaponry as a public justification for war and insisted America was “on the hunt” for …
Am I Black Enuf for ya?
Am I Black Enuf for ya?B. Keith Wilson If I don’t call my brothas and sistas niggas,would I be Black Enuf For Ya?If I told you that I couldn’t rap or sing,that I couldn’t dance to …
Arawak people
The Arawak were a once-predominant group of Native Americans originally inhabiting an area that stretched from present-day Florida down through the islands of the West Indies and the coastal area of …
More Than Slaves
Black History does not start with slavery, contrary to popular belief, there was Black history before slavery. Long before we were bought and sold, we were making history, and after slavery, Black …
I have a Dream
Martin Luther King Jr delivered one of his most famous speeches on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963. Most people only remember the ‘I have a …
The life and career of Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes, born James Mercer Langston Hughes on 1 February 1902, has left an indelible mark on the landscape of American literature. Revered as one of the key figures in the Harlem Renaissance, …
What A Real Sista Been Dyin’ To Say…
Sista, please”Time out!I need a word with youyou messin’ up my good thangand this just ‘aint gon’ doNow, understand – you can do what you want with your life”but …
