I love Black History...not only in February, but all year long. My great-aunt and grandmother encouraged me to learn my history by sending me books, news articles, pamphlets, movies, etc. when I was younger. I used to get so upset when we would only talk about Dr. King and Rosa Parks during black history month at school. No offense to them but they are so many others that helped shape who we are, many that came before them...I haven't been showing my appreciation for my history on my blog so here I go with a few facts....
Cathy Williams was the first and only known female Buffalo Soldier. She was born into slavery and worked for the Union army during the Civil War. She posed as a man an enlisted as Williams Cathay in the 38th infantry in 1866. She was given medical discharge in 1868.
"Strange Fruit" the song about lynching in the south , which was made popular by Billie Holiday, was originally a poem written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher from the Bronx.
Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872.
John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897.
Joseph Winters invented a fire escape ladder in 1878.
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