Historical Figures: Inventions by African American People

Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little in February of 1925. Early in his life he became aware of the tragedy associated with racism, after his father was killed because of his outspoken views regarding the rights of Blacks. Following his father's death, Malcolm became a ward of the court, and was in and out of trouble. His troubles eventually landed him in prison, where he personal salvation through education and religion. Malcolm became a faithful follower of the teachings of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, during which time he changed his name to Malcolm X, and strongly advocated black nationalism making sure to separate himself from the civil rights movement. In time, Malcolm's ideas began to change and he separated from the Nation of Islam. A pilgrimage would forever change Malcolm's life. Upon his return from Africa, Malcolm had changed his name again, this time he called himself El-Hajj Mali El-Shabbazz. His political philosophy had been transformed to see racism as a problem of the world. Malcolm began to advocate for human rights versus that of black nationalism or civil rights. His fight for humanity was cut short on February 21, 1965 when he was assassinated in a Harlem Ballroom during a speech.

Rosa Parks was born 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. She became active in the civil rights movement in 1930. In 1943, she was the first woman to join the Montgomery chapter of NAACP. Parks has been called the "Mother of Civil Rights" due to her refusal to give up her seat, on a segregated bus, to a white man. This incident caused what became known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott. As a result of the boycott, the U. S. Supreme Court eventually ruled it unconstitutional for city buses to be segregated.

 

 

 

 

George Washington Carver was born a slave on a Missouri farm in 1865. He was the first Black person to graduate from Iowa State College. After obtaining his Bachelor and Master's of Science, he became a faculty member in the Botany Department at his alma mater. In 1896, he began teaching at Tuskegee Institute. Best known for his work as a scientist, Carver developed over 400 products from the peanut, potato, and pecan. His inventions have helped improved the quality of life for many people.

Frederick Douglas was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Maryland, in 1817. While a slave he learned to read and write,which enabled him to escape from bondage in 1838. He became an outstanding spokesman against the i institution of slavery. In 1827, Douglas published the North Star, an antislavery newspaper. Throughout his life Douglass worked for social reform and the abolition of slavery.

In 1797, Sojourner Truth was born into slavery as Isabella Baum free. Having survived being sold away from her parents as a child and the abuse of many masters, Truth escaped from slavery in 1827. A woman who stood tall in stature and spoke with power, she is often remembered for her work as an abolitionist as well as her speech addressing the rights of Black women in which she asked, "ain't I a woman?"

Booker T. Washington was born a slave on a Virginia plantation, in 1856. He graduated from Hampton Institute in 1875, and was the founder of Tuskegee Institute. In 1896, Washington received an honorary degree from Harvard University. He was the first Black recipient to receive an award of such from Harvard University.

Ernest E. Just

Mae E. Jemison

Madam C. J. Walker

African American Studies Department | College of Arts & Sciences
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