Extraordinary Black Scientists

An excerpt from AfroTech - 

15 Black Scientists That Changed Our Understanding Of The World

By Leah Jones

Shirley Ann Jackson (b. 1946)

Photo Credit: Nicholas Kamm / AFP

Dr. Shirley Jackson is a physicist and the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Jackson’s research has primarily focused on theoretical physics, semiconductor physics and condensed matter physics. She conducted groundbreaking research in the field of semiconductors, leading to advancements in telecommunications and computing. Her work laid the foundation for technologies such as fiber optics, solar cells and the portable fax machine. Jackson also served as the chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission from 1995 to 1999, becoming the first woman and first Black American to hold this position.

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Neil deGrasse Tyson (b. 1958)

Photo Credit: John Lamparski

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, author, and science communicator known for his efforts to popularize science and make complex concepts accessible to the public. yson has made significant contributions to astrophysics through his research on star formation, galaxy evolution, and the structure of the Milky Way. However, he is perhaps best known for his work in science communication. Tyson has hosted several television series, including “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” and “StarTalk,” where he discusses scientific topics in an engaging and entertaining manner. He has also authored numerous books aimed at making science understandable and engaging for people of all ages. Tyson’s ability to convey complex scientific concepts with enthusiasm and clarity has made him a beloved figure in the world of science and education.

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Katherine Johnson (1918-2020)

Photo Credit: Eddy Chen/Disney General Entertainment Content

Katherine Johnson was a mathematician whose calculations were critical to the success of NASA’s early space missions. She is one of the most famous Black scientists in history. Johnson’s mathematical genius played a pivotal role in the Mercury and Apollo space programs. She calculated trajectories, launch windows and re-entry paths for many of NASA’s missions, including Alan Shepard’s 1961 flight and John Glenn’s historic orbit around the Earth in 1962. Her calculations were so accurate that Glenn specifically requested her verification before his flight. Johnson’s work was instrumental in ensuring the safety and success of NASA’s missions during the space race.

Katherine Johnson’s contributions to space exploration were recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Her story gained widespread attention following the publication of the book “Hidden Figures” and the subsequent film adaptation, bringing her achievements to a broader audience. She is celebrated not only for her groundbreaking work as a mathematician but also for breaking barriers as an African American woman in a male-dominated field.

https://afrotech.com/black-scientists/

Black-Owned Hotels in New Orleans

An excerpt from Travel Noire - 

5 BLACK-OWNED HOTELS TO VISIT IN NEW ORLEANS

Whether a bed and breakfast or a luxury hotel, these Black-owned accommodations are fan favorites when visiting the Big Easy. 

By Jasmine Osby

THE DUTCHESS BB

Steeped in Southern charm, the Dutchess BB is a lovely accommodation in the historic Irish Channel neighborhood. It has eight bedrooms spread out over two stories. Travelers will fall in love with the beautiful home with all of the fixings of a modern home. There’s a private backyard for outdoor vibes, laundry access, free breakfast, a jacuzzi, and more. The Dutchess is great for a personal experience while visiting New Orleans. 

*Location: The Irish Channel 

*Type of Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast

*Accommodation Spotlight: The Dutchess is located near the trolley for easy access to transportation to restaurants and excursions. 

*Before You Go: This is a great B&B for group trips with a downstairs and upstairs space with multiple bedrooms on each floor.

HUBBARD MANSION

The Hubbard Mansion opened in 2000 and is a beacon of hospitality in New Orleans. It’s located minutes from everything you want to see in the city including the French Quarter, Central Business District, and the Zoo. The Black-owned hotel in New Orleans has always been in the family and offers five rooms with suite accommodations for visiting guests. The mansion overlooks the Mississippi River and has a graceful flair you won’t find at any other bed and breakfast. 

*Location: St. Charles Avenue

*Type of Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast

*Accommodation Spotlight: Hubbard Mansion is decorated with an array of antiques and historic heirlooms for guests to see and experience during their stay. 

*Before You Go: It took the Hubbard family three years to build this NOLA stay.

https://travelnoire.com/black-owned-hotels-new-orleans/

This Info Could Save Your Life

 

@doctorhoeflinger Knowing this about drinking could save your life! #fyp #party #drinking #alcohol #foryou #holiday #christmas ♬ Storytelling - Adriel

Denzel Breaks It Down

An excerpt from MadameNoire

Denzel Washington Breaks Down Why ‘Fences’ Needed A Black 

by marysymone

Washington began, “It’s not color, it’s culture. Steven Spielberg did Schindler’s List. Martin Scorsese did Goodfellas, right? Steven Spielberg could direct Goodfellas. Martin Scorsese probably could have done a good job with Schindler’s List. But there are cultural differences.”

He continued to give an example, “I know, you know, we all know what it is when a hot comb hits your head on a Sunday morning, what it smells like. That’s a cultural difference, not just color difference.”

The Equalizer star expressed the importance of what August Wilson did for the culture. “August Wilson is writing how we feel. That’s why I’m producing all 10 of [his plays]. Because of all those people who laid the groundwork for me to be in the position I’m in, I’m going to make sure that there’s hundreds of roles for the next generation and utilize the power that I have at this moment to do that, and nobody’s going to get in my way,” he told SiriusXM.

https://madamenoire.com/1364832/denzel-washington-fences-black-director/

Repurposing Old Teacups

An excerpt from House Digest - 

18 Clever Ways To Repurpose Old Teacups Around The House

BY MASIE O'TOOLE

1. Bird feeder

Bird feeders are easy to make out of just about anything, but this teacup idea is one of the most fun and whimsical out there. All you need is a teacup, a saucer, some string, and an adhesive. Turn your teacup on its side with the handle facing upwards, then attach it to the saucer with your adhesive of choice. Once it's dry, attach your string to the handle of the teacup to hang it from a branch. After you fill the cup (and likely some of the saucer, too) up with birdseed, birds can fly up and rest on the rim of the saucer to eat.

2. Candle vessel

Making your own soy candles is surprisingly easy, so much so that finding appropriate vessels for your creations is oftentimes the hardest part. If you're tired of filling plain jars with wax, try thinking outside the box and making a teacup candle. Teacups are already meant to withstand high heat, so there's a low risk of cracking as you fill the teacup and eventually burn your creation, and the handle on the side can make it easy for you to move the candle from place to place, even when it's still hot. Add on the fact that it's absolutely adorable, and you have a winning DIY idea.

3. Succulent garden

Succulent gardens are a low-maintenance way to bring some interesting greenery and freshness to your home décor. Once you start adding to your collection of plants, however, it can be hard to find planters that are the perfect fit for a collection of different succulents. To give yourself more freedom, consider potting your succulents in individual teacups, then displaying them together. Teacups are small and shallow, making them a great choice for succulent planters, and putting your succulents in several tiny pots instead of one large one can make it easier add on new plants and take away old ones that might not be faring so well.

https://www.housedigest.com/1584661/ways-to-repurpose-old-teacups-around-house/

Blue-Eyed Black Babies

@heyy..cheryl #greenscreen ♬ Storytelling - Adriel

Still Want 'Em?

 

@elle.cordova Replying to @the_lonelyest_pickle dare accepted. RX Side Effects Redux! (Deja vu now also makes a recurring appearance per commenter requests) #rx ♬ original sound - Elle Cordova

A Mother's Love

An excerpt from USA Today - 

She was the chauffeur, the encourager and worked for the NSA. But mostly, she was my mom

By Mike Freeman

Mike Freeman and his mom in the 1970s.  Provided by Mike Freeman

I remember the exact day I first saw my mother’s strength. I mean, really saw it. My father had left us. Not long after, my mom sat next to me on the stairs of the house, put her arm around me, and kissed me on the cheek. She told me we were going to be OK, and there was no doubt in my mind she was right. Because she was Mom. She always made everything right. Even moments like that one.

She’s called me Mickey or Mickey Joe forever. We’ll be all right, Mickey. I promise. And her promises meant something. They meant everything.

She was the chauffeur who took me to soccer practice, the cook, the child psychologist, the encourager, the disciplinarian and the empath. She did all of that while working at the National Security Agency, where she was a senior executive, and one of the highest-ranking Black women at the agency. She’d also get her law degree by going to classes at night.

We sometimes think of power as physical strength or wealth, but true power is what my mom did for me growing up, and what so many other moms have done. She used her strength to create a protective forcefield over the ordinary and mundane, which are so important to kids: going to school; playing sports; hanging with friends; having food and clothes and support.

Her love has always had the power of a splitting atom. But another strength was just as buttressing. Mom’s almost unrelenting desire to educate me about the world and how things work, from making pancake batter, to handling myself if stopped by the police, to emphasizing the power of Black pride when much of the outside world constantly told Black people how awful we were.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/mike-freeman/2024/05/10/mothers-day-national-security-agency/73555966007/

Phoenix mom, two daughters work together as flight attendants

https://youtu.be/PuV3r4YlP-c?si=7ORRUlrTi769Kmu_

If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now

An excerpt from Buzzfeed - 

People Over 60 Are Revealing "Time-Sucking" Habits They Wasted WAY Too Much Time On In Their 30s, 40s, Or 50s

"That may have worked for men, but definitely not for women at that time."

by Raven Ishak - BuzzFeed Staff

3. "Trying so hard to be friends with people who had no time or interest in being friends with me or only wanted my friendship when it was convenient for them." —Jayne, 62 1/2, California

4. "I spent way too much time people-pleasing. Being a caregiver for my parents at a very young age left me struggling for good coping skills as I grew older. The insecurity made me way too concerned about what others thought. The best part of getting older is not giving a crap about what anyone thinks!"—Anonymous, 62, Illinois

5. "When I was younger, I wasted too much time worrying about whether a man liked me or not. My self-esteem was not very high, and I suspect I thought most men I liked were thinking about anything else besides me. Nowadays, I don't worry about whether a man likes me or not. If he likes me, he'll show it by wanting to be with me. It's now all about whether I find him interesting enough to want to be with him!"—Suzanne, 63, United Kingdom

10. "Don’t waste time being angry over something you can’t control. Don’t waste time on gossip or negativity. Don’t waste time blaming others or your childhood on present bad decisions, behavior, or situations."—fiercemoon84

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ravenishak/things-older-people-wish-they-didnt-waste-time-on

Houston teen mom raised two kids -- one who's now a doctor, the other's ...

https://youtu.be/e5m8yjGDBg0?si=b7VnOoFhhg-AX99k

Sacramento State University's president speaks on peaceful end to campus...

It's long, but worth the time. He has a powerful backstory that makes his message all the more meaningful.

https://youtu.be/nUjx7GbLPQA?si=c4YYG9zMqS11DF6i

The All-New FIAT 500e: Italy is Now in America (ft. Spike Lee and Gianca...

https://youtu.be/mZR_BEXgPV0?si=8s8AQYAg7sh-c-5u

Southern Sayings

An excerpt from the Wealthy Nickel - 

15 Phrases Only a True Southerner Would Understand

By Rebecca Holcomb

1. Yonder

There are several versions of this saying. “Right Yonder” or “Over Yonder” are the two most common examples of a word that means “over there.”  If a Southerner is trying to tell you the general direction something is in or where something is at, they’ll likely say “Right yonder” or “Over yonder” and point with a finger to help guide you.

3. Y’all

In Michigan, most people will say “you guys” when referring to a group of people. Being a proper Southerner, however, my husband uses “Y’all.” Thankfully, it is an appropriate contraction of the words you and all. We use it most often when talking to our mix of children.

5. Bless Your Heart

This phrase is one of my favorite Southern expressions because it can be a passive insult or a meaningful compliment. As an insult, it means that you’re dim in the mental acuity department. As a compliment, it means that whoever is saying it appreciated that you thought of them.

6. Fixin’ To

When I was a sophomore in college, I met a couple of girls from Texas, and it was the first time I ever heard the phrase “Fixin’ to.” This phrase can mean anything you’re planning to do in the future. However, it usually refers to something you’re hoping to do.

https://wealthynickel.com/15-southern-sayings-that-northerners-need-a-translator-to-understand-0424/

Who Benefits From Racism?

An excerpt from CNN.com - 

A White author calculated just how much racism has benefited her. Here’s what she found

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN

Tracie McMillan, journalist and author of "The White Bonus,"
outside her home in Detroit, Michigan. Sarah Rice

Exactly how much has racism benefited White Americans?

Journalist and author Tracie McMillan did the math: The advantages she’s gotten over her life from being White, she estimates, amount to $371,934.30.

To calculate that number, McMillan tallied those benefits and divided them into two categories: A family bonus, which includes money her parents spent on her college tuition, educational loans she got from her grandfather and an inheritance; and a social bonus, which includes jobs, apartments and access to credit she’s gotten throughout her life.

Those resources and capital, she concludes, wouldn’t have been available to her if it weren’t for her race.

In her new book, “The White Bonus: Five Families and the Cash Value of Racism in America,” which publishes Tuesday, McMillan traces just how much of her family’s modest wealth can be attributed to policies and practices that have systematically hurt Black Americans.

Through investigative research, interviews and personal recollections, McMillan examines how racism has shaped her life, as well as the lives of four other White, middle class families.

“It was the one story about White people that I didn’t know,” she says.

McMillan, who grew up in rural Michigan and now lives in New York, didn’t have a particularly privileged upbringing by most standards. As she details in the book, she grew up in an abusive household and an unfortunate accident left her mother unable to care for her. In college, McMillan juggled numerous jobs to support herself, and as a working journalist, she’s had her own brushes with poverty.

Despite those hardships, McMillan says the financial advantages she’s experienced because of her race are undeniable. Her grandparents benefited from federal programs that largely excluded Black people, allowing them to build wealth that was then passed on to the next generation. That enabled her parents to help her pay to attend an elite university, which in turn opened doors to employment opportunities.

But, as she writes in the book, those advantages also come with a cost — not just to Black Americans, but White people like her.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/22/us/the-white-bonus-book-tracie-mcmillan-cec/index.html

Mareena Robinson Snowden, PhD; the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Nu...

https://youtu.be/Bskf6FOkK74?si=pseviGj3ILLAZ_AC

https://shinemycrown.com/mareena-robinson-snowden-celebrating-the-first-black-woman-to-earn-phd-in-nuclear-engineering-from-mit/

President Biden Chats with Famous Past “Presidents"

https://youtu.be/BCUkDm47CpY?si=sQ8NTQrndO-PdqeX

These Sisters Own Every Single McDonald's in Compton, California | NBCLX

https://youtu.be/LonKfC_sF1E?si=RIuqOGKF0VbwYxcx

Whitney Houston ‘I Have Nothing’ was begging for sax

https://youtu.be/k-EQmm5Mh4A?si=JSlF64wkS8BnrnbV

NFL Player Warrick Dunn Helped Build Over 145 Homes For Single Moms

An excerpt from the Secret Life of Mom - 

Warrick Dunn: The NFL Player Who Helped Build Over 145 Homes For Single Mothers So They Could Have Better Lives

By Sarah Biren

Warrick Dunn is famous for his professional football career, which spanned 12 seasons in the NFL, but he deserves more acclaim for his philanthropy. Ever since his rookie season in 1997, Dunn has supported single-parents and underprivileged families with his Homes for the Holidays program. He started the organization to honor his mother’s memory, since she had always dreamed of homeownership. So Dunn has made this dream a reality for many families in the United States.

Warrick Dunn Helps House Over 200 Families

Dun’s mother, Betty Dunn Smothers, worked as a police officer in Louisiana. She was killed while working her second job as a security guard. Corporal Smothers was in uniform and driving a patrol car when she and the store manager went to make a deposit at a bank. Three men shot them as they sat in the car, killing Corporal Smothers and injuring the manager. This happened a few days before her oldest son’s birthday, Warwick Dunn. [1]

Dunn was already a father figure for his five younger siblings. “I never really had a childhood,” he said in a 1994 interview with the Los Angeles Times. “I’ve never been able to go out and just go crazy, like most kids, because I grew up staying in the house a lot, baby-sitting.” [2]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Warrick Dunn (@warrickdunn)

 https://secretlifeofmom.com/warrick-dunn/