What "black" history stories inspire you to new heights?

[lightbulb27]

So much of the media is negative... and that will never change. It preys upon your most sensitive emotions of fear, shame, rage. It's designed to hold you down... so turn it down, or off.

You can CHOOSE to turn your eyes to the positive, what is good, set goals... and that can get you to a better place in life. That is the value to me of "black history month"... I learn perspectives and gain inspiration from the difficulties others faced and overcame. Learning anothers perspective gives me greater compassion and the desire to inspire others to their own greatness.

Eugene Jacques Bullard is a good read on Wiki and Quora. The first African American pilot, fought in WWI and WWII, business owner, was visited by the head of France. Also a bellman. Respect, courage, sacrafice, passion! Respect earned.

https://wellthatwasinteresting.quora.com/Do-you-know-who-this-is-a-photo-of-Chances-are-you-don-t-but-don-t-feel-bad-because-probably-not-one-American-in-one/log



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Bullard

This is black history, but to me, it can apply to anyone. We all face challenges, question is... what do you want of your life?

[Lliam]

There are so many inspirational stories about African Americans throughout history. I've read stories about amazing people who few people have heard of.

I have a personal story to share.
In 1965, when I was 11, I got my first guitar. My dad was a lead machinist for a major aerospace corporation. There was an engineer there who offered to come to our house to give me some guitar lessons.

When he walked into the house, I was surprised to see that he was a black man - tall and fit, with a cool goatee. He was kind, patient and soft spoken. He wasn't just a guitarist, he was a master flamenco guitarist who had gone to Spain a few times to study the craft. I'm sure he could play any kind of music and probably played jazz like a fiend.

At 11 years old, I wasn't racially prejudiced. But I had never met a black person. I had seen lots of black entertainers on TV. For example, my parents watched the Nat King Cole Show and my mom loved Sidney Poitier. I was also vaguely aware of the horrible injustices of segregation.

It was soon apparent that Mr. Freeman was more sophisticated than anyone I had ever met, including my parents.

Keep in mind that this was 1965, during the Watts Riots and the height of the civil rights movement. He came to our lily white neighborhood out of the goodness of his heart to teach a white kid how to play the guitar.

He had grown up during segregation and, during that time, became a rocket engineer and a flamenco guitarist. I can't imagine what he or his ancestors had been through. His last name was Freeman, of all things. But he didn't have a chip on his shoulder.

I wound up admiring him and still think of him as a hero because, with all the racial upheaval that was going on at that time, he was like an ambassador for African Americans. I realized that he was more high class than any white person I had ever known. From then on, I knew that blacks were as capable as white people. Racism was bullshit. Any possibility that I could pick up racial prejudice later in life had been blocked.

By high school, I was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement and even participated in some marches and things. And throughout my life, I have learned more and more about the struggles of black people in America.

When I was an motor vehicle damage field adjuster/appraiser I worked with lots of black people in the office and became very good friends with some. Some were better educated and more successful than I. In the field. I worked all over Los Angeles. Even in depressed areas with high black concentration I got along great. I really liked African American restaurants, people and culture. I like other cultures, too.

I credit Mr. (Bill) Freeman as a role model. He's an unsung hero.

[lightbulb27]

Excellent story. Had something similar… an artist made a painting of my brother whom was quite ill. I watched Sami Davis jr on tv and flip Wilson and some singers… my view of black people was they were some higher level as we were simple untalented people. This black artist shows up at the door delivering this drawing that amazes me… my father loved this man and that set a strong impression going forward. Some years later I ran into more diverse populations and had to read apt my views a bit.

[Lliam]

Who were simple untalented people?

[lightbulb27]

Id view my family like that at that time, I was young. we have no talent for art or much that I saw. Good hearted people though. We do have skills, just didn't see them. the contrast was seeing only talented/funny/musical black people and vs us. When I saw the drawing, I was mind boggled anyone could do that. to this day, I only do stick figures...

[Lliam]

@lightbulb27. Oh. I see what you mean.

[NamerOfStars]

Lonnie Johnson started out as a poor boy from rural Alabama, became interested in engineering after his father taught him how to repair household appliances, then went on to Tuskegee university on a scholarship, eventually winding up at NASA, where he was a vital part of the Galileo and Cassini missions.

One day, he was taking a bath, and playing with a soda bottle, when it dawned on him that you could use air pressure to create a REALLY kickass squirt gun, FAR better than the direct-pressure "five feet if you squeeze so hard your finger hurts" ones of the day. The story goes that he built his prototype and went to a toy fair to shop it around, but arrived on the last day, when many companies had already closed their booths. A guy from Laramie saw him and was interested, but didn't have the power to approve anything himself, so he set up a meeting with Johnson at their headquarters. On the day of, Johnson enteredthe boardroom carrying a briefcase and walked to the far end of the table. He put the briefcase on the table, opened it up, pulled out the prototype, pumped it up, and soaked the president of Laramie from across the room. They bought it on the spot, and the Super Soaker was born.

[lightbulb27]

that's hillarious, I'm surprised they bought it though...

[Anonymous]

Frank Lucas was an African American buisnessman who operated in Harlem, New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was known for cutting out middlemen and buying product directly from his wholesalers in Southeast Asia.
He gave back to the black community through charity work, philanthropy and employed thousands of African Americans nation wide in his company. He has continued to be a role model young industrious up and coming young black men who follow suit, many rappers sing his praises.

[Agagagagaga]

Lol he was a drug king pin who ran infested his community with heroin.

[Opinion Owner]

@Agagagagaga he showed black men could run a successful business

[joeldalton]

Robert Smalls is a total badass.

www.pbs.org/.../

[exitseven]

All the guys that went to Vietnam were heroes if you ask me no matter what color they were.

[anylolone]

I really love the story of the dahomey kingdom.

[lightbulb27]

never heard of. they grew rich in the slave trade? ?

[anylolone]

Yeah, and they ritualistically and brutally murdered slaves.
Then they begged brittain not to end the slave trade, it's white supremacy and culturally insensitive to stop the dahomey from profiting from genociding the yoruba apparently.
lol!

[lightbulb27]

unreal, they had woman solders called "amazons". www.newworldencyclopedia.org/.../...ey_amazon1.jpg

this is fascinating history Id never heard... awful as well, but not unlike china! I find it very interesting the term "dahomey". I grew up around lots of AA people who used the term "my homey", or "da homey"... referring to someone at home. Same phrase different terms... gotta wonder if is by accident.

[anylolone]

They weren't really called amazons, but yeah, they has warrior women, a whole division.

And it's by coincidence. Dahomey was the royal family, not the general population , if I'm not mistaken.

[MJtheCoach]

Is actually very racist to have that

[Jouth]

obama