Higher Learning

“Without a struggle, there can be no progress’. –Fredrick Douglass

Hey Guys & Dolls,

Today signifies the commence of Black History Month in the United Kingdom and I just wanted to celebrate some of the historic figures that made it possible to ACHIEVE and BE in this day and age.

This post is dedicated to those heroes who fought the good fight and paved the way for the rest of us.

·      Frederick Douglass, a man who bravely fought for the cause of abolishment of slavery and Women’s’ rights in the United States.

·      Maya Angelou, a visionary writer and performer who changed the landscape of both the literary, political and cultural word.

·      Martin Luther King, a man who led the African- American Civil Rights Movement in the United States and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.

·      Rosa Parks, a woman who made a seemingly small gesture in refusing to leave her seat one December evening and later ensured equal rights for all citizens across the United States.

·      Nina Simone, a singer/songwriter and Civil Right Activist of her generation, revolutionizing the music genre as well as the African-American voice.

·      Oprah Winfrey, one of the largest media figures in the world.

·      Harriet Tubman, also known as, the conductor of the Underground Railroad, was a woman who dedicated her life to the liberation and freedom of her people from slavery as well as women’s rights.

·      Matthew Henson, the co-discoverer of the North Pole along with Rear Admiral Robert Perry

·      Percy Julian, a man who inspired my love for science by being the one of the first to research, isolate and develop synthetic compounds in the 20^th century

·      Elijah McCoy, also known as ‘The real McCoy’ was another man who inspired me to be a scientist. He is responsible for developing the lubricating cup- “a device that provides for the continuous flow of oil in gears and other moving parts of a machine and thereby do away with the necessity of shutting down the machine periodically”. He is also responsible for the invention of the patented lawn sprinkler.

·      Benjamin O. Davis, Jr, was the first black Air Force General to lead the Tuskegee Airmen flight squadron and stand up to the military establishment in advancing the cause of black soldiers.

·      Bessie Coleman, a pioneer and innovator in the field of aviation, both as an African-American and as a woman.

·      Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Happy Black History Month. I am Destini Monet and you have been reading ‘The Black Mannequin’.

Disclaimer: Whilst I have read autobiographies and books regarding figures aforementioned, all summaries were provided by greatblackheroes.com.