A True Reflection of Black History 28

Africa is the second most populous continent and second largest with Asia being the first. When you include all the adjacent lands, which equal roughly 11.6 million square miles, it covers 6% of the earth and 20% of its land surface. The Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west is what surrounds Africa. In the group of archipelagos that is included in Africa, is Madagascar. Nigeria is the largest by population and Algeria is largest country (inside a continent) by Area.

Europe on the other hand is a continent located entirely on the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It makes up the westernmost parts of Eurasia (Eurasia is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, physiographical, Eurasia is a single continent) and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Artic Ocean to the north, Asia to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. As Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus,(caucasian people) the Black Seas and the waterways of the Turkish Straits.

Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Black History Month also has roots in Germany. This year will mark the 30th anniversary of the annual Black History Month celebrations in Berlin, which became a fixture in the Black German community.

Without teaching African American history in a positive light, it says to everyone else that we have no history except slavery in this country USA, when the fact is -With 50,000 total patents, Black people accounted for more inventions during this period of the 18th century than immigrants from every country except England and Germany. A patent is a government grant to an inventor for an invention. George Washington signed the first patent law on April 10, 1790. The law gave patent holders the sole right to make and sell their invention for 14 years. It prevents other people from copying their invention and making money off it during that time. The Patent Act encourages progress in science by allowing patent holders the right to make a living from their own creativity.

To receive a patent, an invention must be new and contribute something useful. A patent can't be granted to something that has already been invented, but a patent can be granted to improve an already existing invention. Patents can be granted to machines, products, devices, and processes. Chemical compounds, food, drugs, and the processes to make these things can also be patented.

The following three men are notable African American inventors of the 18th century. All three men were born free; they were not enslaved persons. There were many more African Americans, men and women, enslaved and free, who designed, manufactured, and sold inventions. Most of their stories have been lost to history. Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Banneker (1731–1806) was a self-taught mathematician and surveyor. When he was 21, Banneker was shown a pocket watch. He was so fascinated by the watch that its owner lent it to Banneker. He spent time studying pocket watches before deciding to build his own timepiece. A year later, Banneker invented a clock out of wood that struck a gong on the hour and kept time to the second. Banneker's wooden clock kept time for more than 40 years. In 1792, Banneker completed the first Banneker's Almanac. Almanacs were important books in the 18th century because they told exactly when the sun came up in the morning and set at night. Almanacs also listed tide tables, dates of lunar and solar eclipses, holidays, and phases of the moon. Banneker's Almanac was commonly used by farmers and other residents of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia during the 18th and 19th centuries. Banneker gave a first edition of his almanac to Thomas Jefferson. He called on Jefferson to give Black men and women equal rights, and to fight against prejudice that was "so prevalent in the world against those of my complexion . . . a race of beings, who have long labored under the abuse and censure of the world." Jefferson replied to Banneker, writing, "nature has given to our Black brethren talents equal to those of other colors of man." Slavery was abolished 59 years after Banneker's death. James Forten

James Forten (1766–1842) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and lived there most of his life. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Revolutionary War. Captured and imprisoned by the British, Forten was offered his freedom if he agreed to live in England. Forten replied, "I am here a prisoner for the liberties of my country. I never, never shall prove a traitor to her interests!" After the war, Forten was apprenticed to a sailmaker. He quickly learned the trade and developed a patent for a device to handle ship sails, which made him a wealthy man. Forten used his money to advocate for women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. George Peake

George Peake (1722–1827) also fought in the Revolutionary War. He was the first African American to be part of the settlement that eventually became Cleveland, Ohio. At this time, Ohio was a largely unsettled frontier in the western part of the United States. Peake invented a hand mill for grinding corn. His hand mill was made of two round stones approximately 48 centimeters (19 inches) wide. Peake's invention was easier to use than the traditional mortar and pestle, and ground the corn more smoothly. Although Peake didn't patent his invention, he received credit for it in the November 8, 1858, issue of the newspaper Cleveland Leader.

All children, and adults need to know these men like we were taught about Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin and Columbus, but unlike those guys...these Black History Heroes have been forgotten

Everyone should be taught Black History...

Bronxstar Payne