February: Black History Month There are so many individuals that made a difference for African Americans. Therefore, it is impossible to name them all and give credit to them. However, it is not impossible to acknowledge how African Americans, as a whole, has made a difference and are continuing to make a difference.

1954: Brown vs. Board of Education Brown vs. Board of Education was made up of five separate but similar court cases: Briggs v. Elliott in South Carolina Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County in Virginia Gebhart v. Belton in Delaware; Bolling v. Sharpe in the District of Columbia Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in Kansas. “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the separate but equal doctrine in American public schools.” Source: Teaching Tolerance Magazine, Article written by Brian Willoughby. “The half-century since Brown vs. Board of Education has been a series of gains and losses, from segregation to integration and on to a new kind of segregation. Other movements — feminism, the fights for other minority rights, gay rights, advocacy by and on behalf of people with disabilities — were aided, bolstered and fueled by Brown vs. Board of Education.”

African American Inventors 1821: Dry Cleaning Process by Thomas L. Jennings 1884: Hand-operated Machine for Kneading and Rolling Dough by Judy W. Reed 1885: Cabinet Bed by Sarah E. Goode 1834 & 1836: Seed Planter and Cotton Planter by Henry Blair 1874: Water Closet for Railroad Cars by Lewis Latimer 1888: Overhead Electric Conducting Lines for Railroads by Granville T. Woods 1969: Electrogasdynamic Systems and Methods by Dr. Meredith Gourdine Source:

Heroes of the Past, Present & Future What do you consider a hero to be? Is it someone who has made a difference for the world or could it be someone who has made a difference for one person? Heroes are everywhere and heroes can be anyone. To only name a few… Martin Luther King Jr. Rosa Parks Sammy Davis, Jr. Nichelle Nichols Jesse Owens Ella Fitzgerald Maya Angelou W. E. B. DuBois Zora Neale Hurston Fannie Lou Hamer Tavis Smiley Colin Powell Fredrick Douglass Malcolm X Louis Armstrong Les Brown Dr. Frank Hale Jesse Robinson Oprah Winfrey Rev. Al Sharpton Condoleezza Rice

Picture Show of African Americans Those who made a difference & those who continue to make a difference.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“Sometimes I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can anyone deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It's beyond me.” Zora Neale Hurston

"The important thing to me, man, was to get a black face on the screen and let him be a hero.” Bill Cosby