The History of Black History Month
Who Started Black History Month? Dr. Carter Woodson is known as the Father of Black History Month. Born in Virginia on December 19, 1875 to formerly enslaved parents, he learned as he could between jobs on the land or in the mines. He went to Douglass High School at the age of 20 and graduated…
Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better
Augustus Jackson, Inventor of Ice Cream as We Know It Who Invented Ice Cream? Augustus Jackson was born in 1808 in the free state of Pennsylvania. He discovered a love of cooking early on in his life, and moved to the White House when he was twelve years old to work. He became an excellent…
Dred Scott
Dred Scott was an enslaved man who fought for his freedom, all the way up to the Supreme Court. Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, filed lawsuits against their enslavers for their freedom, fearing that continued enslavement put their two daughters at risk of being sold to other families and taken away from them. The…
Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk was born to Jewish parents in New York in 1930. He joined the United States Navy and served as a diving officer during the Korean War. However, like Fred Kameney, he was “other than honorably” discharged from the Navy during the Lavender Scare for being a gay man. He didn’t immediately become an…
Frank Kameny
Frank Kameny Early Life Frank Kameny was born to Jewish parents in 1925. He became an astronomer and was drafted into the United States Army during World War II, where he worked as an astronomer for the U.S. Army Map Service. Frank Kameny was also gay. After World War II ended, a Senator from Wisconsin…