The National Negro Bowling Association (NNBA) was founded on August 20, 1939 in Detroit, MI. At that time, the majority of bowling organizations did not allow blacks to become members. In many cases it was actually written into the constitution of organizations that only whites could be members. The NNBA held its first tournament in Cleveland, OH in 1939 which featured teams from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin. There was representation from other states as well. However, bowlers from Cleveland, Chicago, and Detroit dominated the association until the 1950’s.
Jessica O. Matthews is an inventor, venture capitalist, and CEO of Uncharted Power. The company was launched in 2011, as Uncharted Play
The company uses its proprietary “MORE technology” to power kinetic energy solutions for organizations and communities. Uncharted Power is on the cutting edge of kinetic renewable energy solutions.
For those who have seen Black Panther, Matthews is a modern day “Shuri”. Shuri was the younger sister of T’Challa (Black Panther) Matthews holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Nigeria. She recently shared a video on YouTube explaining how the technology used is Tchalla’s and Killmonger’s black panther suit has already been developed and could actually be used today. Check out the video.
Alexander Augusta (1825 – 1890) was born in Norfolk Virginia. He began his medical studies under the supervision of private tutors. He then applied for admission at the University of Pennsylvania but was denied. Still, a Professor William Gibson, who was very impressed with Augusta began teaching him privately. In 1847, Augusta married Native American woman, Mary O. Burgoin. In 1856 he was admitted to the College Of The University of Toronto. He would eventually receive his Bachelors of Medicine degree from Trinity Medical College.
Augusta went on to establish a thriving private practice in Canada. He was also hired as the head of Toronto City Hospital. Just prior to the start of the Civil War, he returned to the U.S. and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was the first of eight black officers to be commissioned during the Civil War and was the first black surgeon in the army. He was commissioned as a major with the 7th U.S. Colored Troops. At that time, Augusta was the highest ranking black officer. His high ranking angered some of the white medical personnel who reported to him. Those individuals wrote President Lincoln and complained. Lincoln then forced Augusta to take on a leadership role at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. Augusta was the first African American to lead Freedman’s Hospital. Continue reading “Alexander Augusta: 1st Black Surgeon In The U.S. Army”→
Thomas W. Stewart (1823 – ) was born in Kalamazoo, MI. He is perhaps, best known for making design improvements to the mop. In 1893, Stewart invented a new mop that had a clamp and springs which allowed the user to press a lever that would wring out the excess water in the mop. He also designed the mop head to be detachable, making it easier to clean and replace.
Stewart also received a patent in 1883 for a station and street indicator. Prior to his invention, there were only street signs that were used to provide warnings at train crossings. Stewart’s invention worked by activating a lever that was built into the train tracks that indicated a train was coming.
Stewart also invented a metal binding machine in 1893. The machine also had the capability of oscillating; making the process of bending steel safer and more efficient.
Jimmie Lee Jackson (1938 – 1965) was born in Marion, Alabama. In February, 1965, Jackson was a 26 year old Vietnam veteran, a father, and the youngest deacon at his church. He worked as a laborer. Jackson was also an active supporter of voting rights. He had been working with other activists to advocate for voting rights in Selma and Marion, Alabama. When Dr. Martin Luther King arrived in Selma in 1965, Jackson had already attempted to register to vote several times. Dr. King decided to bring the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to Selma because he was concerned about the police brutality being experienced by non-violent black activists. He hoped to get the attention of national media outlets to the violence that was occurring. He hoped this attention would put pressure on President Lyndon Johnson to pass voting rights legislation.
Joseph N. Jackson (1929 – ) holds 6 U.S. patents for telecommunications and fertility prediction inventions. Jackson’s first patent was for his contribution to a v-chip device that allowed users to block selected content on cable television. This type of technology is commonly used for parental controls. He also holds patents for TV remote control devices. Jackson was not the first person to invent the remote control. The first TV remote controls introduced in the U.S. were created by Zenith in 1950. The remote was called, “Lazy Bones”. However it was not wireless. It was attached to the TV by a long cord. Consumers didn’t like it because it was a frequent trip hazard. Development of a remote control patent goes back much further than 1950. The first wireless remote control device, the “Flash-Matic” was developed in 1955 by Zenith engineer, Eugene Polley. Continue reading “Joseph N. Jackson: Inventor of A TV Remote Control”→
Inventor Matthew Cherry is known for his patent and invention of the velocipede (forerunner to todays tricycle and bicycle) in 1886 and a street car fender in 1888. Little is known about the life of this inventor.
Horace Pippin (1888 – 1946) was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. As a small child, he moved with his family to Goshen, New York. Born just 23 years after emancipation and the civil war, his grandparents were enslaved. His parents were domestic workers. Pippin was a self taught artist whose only formal training was a few art classes that he took as an adult. Early in life, he developed a love for art and creative expression. In fact, Pippin would “illustrate” his spelling words. The family did not have the financial resources to buy art supplies. When he was 10 years old, Pippin won a box of crayons as part of an art contest. Though he was limited in terms of having art materials, his talent was recognized within his community. Due to his mother’s poor health, he left school at age 15 to work and support his family. He worked various jobs including, being employed on a farm, working as a hotel porter, and in a factory.
Dr. Betty Wright Harris (1940 – ) was born in Monroe, Louisiana. She was the 7th of 12 children. Her parents were farmers. Her mother was also a school teacher who encouraged her children to pursue education. Harris started college at the age of 16. In 1961, She received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Southern University, a historically black college. In 1963, she earned her master of science degree in chemistry from Atlanta University, also a historically black college. She would then teach chemistry and math at the college level for ten years. During this time she worked at Mississippi Valley State University as well as Southern University.
She briefly worked for IBM before taking a position at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Harris obtained her Ph.D from New Mexico State University. It was at LANL that she began to specialize in the study of explosives and nuclear weapons. She developed an expertise in the clean up of environmental hazards as well as environmental restoration. She is recognized as a leading expert in these areas. In 1986 she received a patent for a “sensitive spot test” that she created to detect the presence of 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6 trinitrobeneze (TATB). This invention made it possible for the military as well as private industry to identify the presence of explosive materials. The Department of Homeland Security also utilizes the spot test to screen for nitroaromatic explosives.
