Black american appreciation thread

Deadpool1986

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John M. Langston, America's first elected black politician

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John Langston
Date:
Tue, 1829-12-15
This date marks the birth in 1829 of John Mercer Langston, an African American abolitionist, attorney, educator, and political activist.

Langston was born free to a white plantation owner John Quarles and Lucy Jane Langston, a slave. He was the youngest of four children. His older brother, Charles Henry, became noted abolitionist Charles Henry Langston, and John was the great-uncle of renowned poet Langston Hughes.

When he was 4, both his parents died and he went with a family friend to Oberlin, Ohio. At the age of 14, Langston enrolled in the Preparatory Department at Oberlin College. He enrolled in the graduate program in Theology at Oberlin in preparation for later legal study. Although he obtained a Master's degree, he was denied entry to law school, and he read law under a lawyer in Elyria. He was the first Black lawyer in Ohio admitted to the bar, in 1854.

Langston married Caroline Wall, a student at Oberlin, settled in Brownhelm, OH, and established a law practice. He was elected to the post of Town Clerk in 1855, perhaps the first African American elected to public office in the United States, and later, after he moved back to Oberlin in 1856, he was elected city councilman and later to the board of education.

Langston helped create the Republican Party in 1854. With the aid of his brothers Gideon and Charles, Langston organized antislavery societies at both the state and local levels. He helped runaway slaves to escape along the Ohio border as part of the Underground Railroad.

He played a major role in recruiting Black soldiers for the Union Army during the Civil War. When the war ended, he was appointed inspector general for the Freedmen's Bureau, a federal agency created to assist freed slaves.

Langston moved to Washington in 1868 to organize and become dean of the first Black law school in the nation at Howard University. He also became the first Black to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. He was elected a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876, and a year later named U.S. minister to Haiti.

Langston returned to Virginia in 1885 to serve as the first president of what is now Virginia State University. In 1888, he ran as an independent for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won, the first African American elected to Congress from Virginia, but his victory was contested for 18 months and he served only 6 months before being unseated in the next election.

Langston retired to Washington, where he wrote his autobiography, "From the Virginia plantation to the National Capitol: or, The only Negro representative in Congress from the Old Dominion," published in 1894. He died in 1897.
 

Deadpool1986

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Alice Coachman

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The first female African American selected for the U.S. Olympic team, Alice Coachman became the first black woman of any nationality to win a gold medal at the Olympics with her victory was in the high jump at the 1948 Summer Games in London. Alice Coachman paved the way for hundreds of black female Olympic champions.

Alice Coachman was born in rural Georgia on November 9,1923, near the town of Albany. Born in the fifth of ten children, Alice's family was poor, and even as a youngster, Coachman had to work at picking cotton and other crops to help her family meet financially. Running and jumping was deemed unladylike and to avoid a whipping, Alice tried to make sure her father didn't see her doing either. Not having shoes, Alice Coachman ran barefoot on the dirt roads near her house, practicing jumps over a crossbar made of rags tied together. Coachman received encouragement from her fifth-grade teacher, Cora Bailey, at Monroe Street Elementary School and from her aunt, Carrie Spry, who defended her niece's interest in sports in the face of parental reservations. In 1938, when Coachman enrolled in Madison High School, she immediately joined the track team. The Madison boys' track coach, Harry E. Lash, recognized and nurtured her talent.



Reluctantly at first, her parents relented and allowed her to compete in the Tuskegee Institute relay in the 1930s, where she broke first high school, and then collegiate records by the time she was 16 years old. In the rural south during the time when Jim Crow laws still reigned, Alice Coachman was not guaranteed an opportunity for an education, but fortunately she received a scholarship to the prestigious Tuskegee Preparatory School. During her college career at Tuskegee, she won national championships in the 50-meter dash, the 100-meter dash, the 400-meter relay, and the high jump. She also played on the Tuskegee women's basketball team, which won three championships. She was the only African American on each of the five All-American teams to which she was named.


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In 1943, Coachman won the AAU nationals in the running high jump and the 50-yard dash. Sadly both the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II, denying Alice Coachman a chance to attain her biggest dream.

Alice Coachman received a trade degree in dressmaking in 1946 from the Tuskegee Preparatory School and went on to enroll at Albany State University. Still wanting to go to the Olympics, Alice worked tirelessly and finally qualified for the 1948 Olympics at the age of twenty-four, with a 5 feet 4 inch jump, breaking the previous record of 5 feet 3-1/4 inches set in 1932.

During the 1948 Olympics in London Alice Coachman broke the record and jumped 5 feet, 6-1/4 inches on her first try, earning the gold medal for the United States. Alice Coachman became the first woman of color in the world, and the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in track and field in the history of the modern Olympics. In addition, she was the only American woman to win a gold medal at the 1948 games. Her combination Olympic gold medal and 10 consecutive US championships have never been duplicated.

After her historic win, Alice Coachman retired from competition. She became the first African American woman to benefit from endorsements. When Coachman returned to the U.S., she was treated like royalty. In addition to meeting many famous people who also gave parties for her, she was given a parade in her honor, given a victory ride from Atlanta to Macon, and given a banquet by her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. After her retirement, Alice Coachman taught physical education, coached, and became involved in the Job Corps in Albany Georgia. She also taught at South Carolina State College, Albany State College, and Tuskegee High School.

Alice Coachman married N. F. Davis, whom she later divorced. Later Coachman married Frank Davis. They had two children, Richmond and Evelyn, who both followed their mother's footsteps into athletics.



Alice Coachman has been honored with prestigious memberships in eight halls of fame, including the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Albany Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1994, she founded the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation, and organization supported by Olympic athletes, both aspiring and retired. The Alice Coachman Track & Field Foundation ( ACTFF ), a tax deductible, non-profit organization, was established in honor of America’s history-making world class athlete, Alice Coachman , who rose from obscurity to become an Olympic champion. The ACTFF wants to continue to help athletes become winners. In light of recent reductions in government resources, educational cutbacks and limited sports scholarship opportunities, this assistance may be crucial to aspiring amateur athletes.
 

Deadpool1986

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Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

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Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and Visiting Research Scientist and Lecturer at Princeton University. Dr. Tyson is often known as ‘The Man Who Demoted Pluto.’

Neil deGrasse Tyson was born October 5, 1958 in New York City as the second of three children. His father, Cyril deGrasse Tyson, was a sociologist and human resource commissioner for New York City mayor John Lindsay. His mother, Sunchita Feliciano Tyson, was a gerontologist. In 1972 Tyson attended the Bronx High School of Science where he captained the wrestling team and was editor-in-chief of the school's Physical Science Journal. Neil Tyson had an abiding interest in astronomy from a young age, obsessively studying it in his teens, and eventually even gaining some fame in the astronomy community by giving lectures on the subject at the young age of 15.

Already viewed as a protégé in science, Neil de Grasse Tyson was courted by Carl Sagan at Cornell, while deciding his college options. Eventually Tyson chose to attend Harvard over Cornell, where he majored in physics. He was a member of the crew team in his freshman year, but returned to wrestling, lettering in his senior year.

Neil deGrasse Tyson earned his B.A. degree in physics from Harvard in 1980 and began his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his M.A. degree in Astronomy in 1983. In addition to wrestling and rowing in college, he was also active in dancing in styles including jazz, ballet, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin Ballroom. In 1985, Neil deGrasse Tyson won a gold medal with the University of Texas dance team at a national tournament in the International Latin Ballroom style. He began a doctoral program at the University of Texas, but transferred in 1988 to Columbia University after the University of Texas dissolved his committee. In 1991, Dr. Tyson earned a Ph.D. degree in astrophysics.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was appointed the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium in 1995. His research interests include star formation, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. Tyson has authored nine books, including his latest, The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto's planetary status.



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Tyson's professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. Tyson obtains his data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as from telescopes in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and in the Andes Mountains of Chile.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson has been the acclaimed host of NOVA scienceNOW since the launch of its second season. "NOVA scienceNOW is the only show on television that presents cutting-edge science stories in this exciting and fresh magazine format, and I relish the challenge of making science accessible and relevant to many different audiences," said Tyson. One of the world's most popular lecturers on astronomy, Tyson is a familiar face to NOVA audiences, having hosted the miniseries Origins on PBS in 2004, and having been a featured scientist in prior episodes of NOVA scienceNOW. Tyson is also a frequent guest on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, where Stephen Colbert gave Tyson the title BFF (Best Friend Physicist) after his fifth appearance on the show.

In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a 12-member commission that studied the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations for Congress and for the major agencies of the government that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.

In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a 9-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the Moon, Mars, and Beyond commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which will help guide NASA through its perennial need to fit its ambitious vision into its restricted budget.



Tyson lives in New York City with his wife and two children. Tyson lived next to the World Trade Center and was an eyewitness to the September 11, 2001 attacks. He wrote a widely circulated letter on what he saw.

Dr. Tyson’s contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos were recently recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid "13123 Tyson."
 

Deadpool1986

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Ronald "Ron" Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is a retired American professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name, and in the World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF / E) under both his real name and the ring names Faarooq Asaad[1] (sometimes spelled Asad) and Faarooq (sometimes spelled Farooq).[1] He is currently signed with WWE, working in their Legends program.

In WCW, he was an one time World Heavyweight Champion;[1][4] as the first of two African Americans to win the title,[5] he is recognized by WWE as the first Black heavyweight world champion in professional wrestling history. He was also an one time World Tag Team Champion with Butch Reed and an one time United States Tag Team Champion with Big Josh.[6][7] In the WWF, he was a three time Tag Team Champion with Bradshaw as one half of the Acolytes Protection Agency.[8] He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2012.[3]

Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Simmons was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL) and United States Football League (USFL) for four seasons during the 1980s. He played college football for Florida State University, and was recognized as an All-American. He played professionally for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders and the USFL's Tampa Bay Bandits.
 

Deadpool1986

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This is the man I hope to be one day!!!
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Clayton Sherrod (born 1944 in Birmingham) is a chef and entrepreneur, owner of Chef Clayton's Food Systems.

Sherrod began working at age 13 as a caddy at the Vestavia Hills Country Club after his father suffered a heart attack. Within a few weeks he moved into the club's kitchen as a dishwasher and temporary chef's assistant, but ended finding his calling. He was promoted to sous chef when he was 19 years old, and assumed the role of executive chef on an interim basis, but remained in that position at the club until 1978.

While working at the club, Sherrod began taking classes at the American Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, New York. He left Vestavia to open his own catering company, which earned long-term contracts with Alagasco and U. S. Steel. In association with Alagasco, Sherrod has authored four cookbooks.

Sherrod is active in the American Culinary Federation and founded the ACF's Birmingham chapter, through which he has been involved in promoting culinary arts in the Caribbean. He is also a coordinating chef for the national Black Family Reunion program and has traveled with World Cooks Tour For Hunger and partnered with Kingsley Holgate in efforts to reduce malarial infection in Africa.

Sherrod serves on the board of Culinard. He also chairs the Museum Foundation of the Alabama Negro League Association.
 

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Frederick McKinley Jones 1893 – 1961



Invented: Refrigeration systems

Frederick McKinley Jones was one of the most prolific Black inventors ever. Frederick Jones patented more than sixty inventions, however, he is best known for inventing an automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks in 1935 (a roof-mounted cooling device). Jones was the first person to invent a practical, mechanical refrigeration system for trucks and railroad cars, which eliminated the risk of food spoilage during long-distance shipping trips. The system was, in turn, adapted to a variety of other common carriers, including ships. Frederick Jones was issued the patent on July 12, 1940.
 
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