The start of Black History Month always elicits competing feelings for me.
On the one hand, I enjoy learning in general, and specifically about my people and what they’ve accomplished.
On the other hand, the existence of Black History Month itself is a reminder of the horrific injustices that Black Americans have faced for literally no other reason than the color of our skin. It’s a maddening exercise to be shown simultaneously how brilliant we’ve been, but also that our brilliance was often stolen, rejected and denied.
But even with my simmering anger in the background, I was excited to visit Sage Park Middle School in Windsor to view the Black Inventors Tour. The tour is an initiative by the Black Inventors Museum, which is located in New York City.
The tour has grown from a regional one to an international event, with stops in the Caribbean and the Middle East and plans to expand to Ghana. The Black Inventors Museum brought their tour to Sage Park Middle School as part of a collaboration with the Windsor Freedom Trail and Archer Memorial AME Zion Church.
“The inspiration behind bringing this tour to Windsor was two fold,” said Patricia Gardner, who works with the Freedom Trail.
“First, we really have to celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of African Americans to the country, the community and ourselves. The Black Inventors Tour gives Black kids an opportunity to take pride in themselves. and gives a new perspective to non-Black students.
Secondly, we want to educate the community at large about our accomplishments. Offering this is in line with the Freedom Trail’s mission.”
I was right in the target audience that Patricia had in mind then, because there was so much that I learned during the exhibit. For example:
- Granville T. Woods was an inventor who worked with electricity. He invented the third-rail system that subways use to this day.
- Jan E. Matzeliger created a process that automated attaching the sole of a shoe to the upper part, in his quest to make shoes affordable for all.
- Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist and laser scientist who invented the laserphaco probe, a device still used to remove cataracts.
These are just a few instances of the world-changing creations that have come from Black Americans over the centuries. While the exhibit featured inventors from all over the African diaspora, it was primarily focused on Black Americans, and for good reason.
It’s critical for children and for everyone to understand that Black History is American history. We set this month apart as a celebration because so much time and effort has bent spent specifically to degrade and ignore the accomplishments of Black Americans. So while it might be theoretically correct when someone like Morgan Freeman says he doesn’t want a Black History Month, the reality of our world does not reflect that. Black history must have a light shined on it because it has been purposefully cast into darkness for so long.
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The Black Inventors Museum Tour will be available to the students of Sage Park Middle School for the next two weeks.
Jamil grabs his controller and heads to a tournament at one of his favorite places.
