Rounding out Black History Month, this episode is all about Black History Game Changers, black people who helped forge the path to uplift and make the world a better place for us all. By the end of this episode, you will know the names of people who changed the game in aerospace engineering, home security, electricity, and many more. “I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try.” – Nikki Giovanni
During this episode, Yvette and Ericka along with a surprise historical special guest, talk about notable Black History Game Changers who aren’t talked about or taught but changed the world as we know it. Ericka narrates and enlightens us by sharing stories of many of the unsung Black History Game Changers who aren’t on incessant repeat during Black History Month or highlighted in the whitewashed mainstream historical narrative.
The Black History Game Changers covered during this episode:
Guion Stewart Bluford Jr. is an American aerospace engineer, retired U.S. Air Force officer and fighter pilot, and former NASA astronaut, who is the first African American and the second person of African descent to go to space.
Bayard Rustin (1912-1987). Bayard Rustin was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement years before it started garnering the attention that it did. He instigated one of the first Freedom Rides back in 1947 and was one of the founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). One of Martin Luther King, Jr’s most important advisors, Rustin has often been overlooked because he was an openly gay man at a time when it was considered unacceptable.
Lewis Latimer (1848-1928). You know that Thomas Edison created one of the first light bulbs to work. But did you know that originally his bulbs would only last a few days? This was definitely not long enough to be practical. Enter Lewis Latimer, the son of escaped slaves and an inventor in his own right, who created a filament that extended the life of the bulb. This made the light bulb cheaper and more efficient, making it possible for them to be used on the streets and in the average person’s home.
Bessie Coleman (1892-1926). One of 13 children born to sharecroppers in 1892, Bessie Coleman took an interest in flying after hearing the stories of pilots in WWI. Being both female and African American, she found it difficult to find anyone to train her in the US. This did not stop her, however. She simply went to France and trained there. She ultimately became the first African American woman to get both a national and international pilot’s license.
Jane Bolin (1908 - 2007). A pioneer in law, Jane Bolin was the first Black woman to attend Yale Law School in 1931. In 1939, she became the first Black female judge in the United States, where she served for 10 years. One of her significant contributions throughout her career was working with private employers to hire people based on their skills, as opposed to discriminating against them because of their race. She also served on the boards of the NAACP, Child Welfare League of America, and the Neighborhood Children’s Center.
Additional Game Changers:
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977). A voting rights advocate, Fannie Lou Hamer was fired from her job for trying to register to vote and was nearly beaten to death by police. This did not stop her, however, from helping to organize Mississippi’s, Freedom Summer. She also became vice-chair of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party that attended the 1964 Democratic Convention in an attempt to challenge the all-white, anti-Civil Rights official delegation. Her speech to the credentials committee was carried to many parts of the country and led to more widespread support for the cause.
Dorothy Height (1912 - 2010). Hailed the “godmother of the women’s movement,” Height used her background in education and social work to advance women’s rights. She was a leader in the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and the president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for more than 40 years. She was also among the few women present at the 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.
Ethel Waters (1896 - 1977). Waters first entered the entertainment business in the 1920s as a blues singer, but she made history for her work in television. In addition to becoming the first African American to star in her own TV show in 1939, The Ethel Waters Show, she was nominated for her first Emmy in 1962.
Gwendolyn Brooks(1917 - 2000). Today, Brooks is considered to be one of the most revered poets of the 20th century. She was the first Black author to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for Annie Allen, and she served as poetry consultant to the Library of Congress, becoming the first Black woman to hold that position. She was also the poet laureate of the State of Illinois, and many of her works reflected the political and social landscape of the 1960s, including the civil rights movement and the economic climate.
Alice Coachman (1923 - 2014). Growing up in Albany, Georgia, the soon-to-be track star got an early start running on dirt roads and jumping over makeshift hurdles. She became the first African American woman from any country to win an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She set the record for the high jump at the Games, leaping to 5 feet and 6 1/8 inches. Throughout her athletic career, she won 34 national titles—10 of which were in the high jump. She was officially inducted into the National Track-and-Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.
Maria P. Williams(1866 - 1932).Thanks to the early accomplishments of Williams, as the first Black woman to produce, write and act in her own movie in 1923, The Flames of Wrath, we have female directors and producers like Oprah, Ava DuVernay, and Shonda Rhimes. Beyond film, the former Kansas City teacher was also an activist, and detailed her leadership skills in the book she authored, My Work and Public Sentiment in 1916.
Marsha P. Johnson(1945 - 1992). Before the Netflix documentary brought Johnson's story to life with the documentary, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson by David France, many people were unfamiliar with the influential role she had on drag and queer culture. Johnson, a Black transwoman, and activist, was at the forefront of the LGBTQ movement. In addition to being the co-founder of STAR, an organization that housed homeless queer youth, Johnson also fought for equality through the Gay Liberation Front.
Ruby Bridges (1954 - ). Bridges probably had no idea that the bold act she committed in 1960 would set off a chain reaction leading to the integration of schools in the South. She was just six years old when she became the first African American student to attend William Frantz Elementary in Louisiana at the height of desegregation. She is now the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which was formed in 1999 to promote "the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences."
Mae Jemison (1956 - ). Mae Jemison wasn’t just the first African American woman who orbited into space aboard the shuttle Endeavour. She's also a physician, teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, and president of a tech company, the Jemison Group. She continues to work towards the advancement of young women of color getting more involved in technology, engineering, and math careers.
Alvin Ailey(1931-1989). Ailey was an acclaimed dancer and choreographer who earned global recognition for his impact on modern dance. After honing his technique at the Lester Horton Dance Theater—and acting as its director until its 1954 disbandment—Ailey wished to choreograph his own ballets and works that differed from the traditional pieces of the time. This inspired him to start the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, a multiracial troupe that provided a platform for talented Black dancers and traveled around the world. His most popular piece, "Revelations," is an ode to the Southern Black Church. Ailey died of an AIDS-related illness at 58, but the company still exists today in New York City.
Rose Marie McCoy (1922 - 2015). McCoy’s name may not be instantly recognizable, but she wrote and produced some of the biggest pop songs in the 1950s. In an industry dominated by white males, McCoy was able to make her mark through her pen, even if she couldn’t through her own voice. Her songs, “After All” and “Gabbin’ Blues” never quite took off on the charts, but she was courted by music labels to write for other artists, including hit singles for Big Maybelle, Elvis Presley, and Big Joe Turner. So now when you hear Presley’s “Trying to Get You,” you’ll remember the name of the African American woman who wrote it.
Phillis Wheatley(1754 -1784). The West African-born poet spent most of her life enslaved, working for John Wheatley and his wife as a servant in the mid-1700s. Despite never having received a formal education, Wheatley became the first African American and third woman to publish a book of poems, entitled, Poems on Various Subjects. However, she died before securing a publisher for her second volume of poetry and letters. You can see the monument erected for her at the Boston Women's Memorial.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr. (1880-1970). Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first Black general in the American military. He served for 50 years as a temporary first lieutenant at an all-Black unit during the Spanish-American War. Throughout his service, Davis Sr. was a professor of military science at Tuskegee and Wilberforce University, a commander of the 369th Regiment, New York National Guard, and special assistant to the Secretary of the Army. When he retired in 1948, President Harry Truman oversaw the public ceremony. Davis Sr. is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
References:
Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.com)
26 Little Known Black History Heroes - Famous African Americans (oprahmag.com)
Please follow us on Instagram at #MelaninPearlsPodcast and Facebook! But do not forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or iTunes and check our website at www.melaninpearls.com to find out about upcoming episodes.
Never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Melanin Pearls Podcast on Spotify and iTunes.