Janet Collins was born in 1917 in New Orleans, Louisiana. At the age of four, Janet’s grandmother insisted that the entire family move to Los Angeles because blacks were denied access to the public library. When they arrived in California, Janet developed an interest in dancing. When she was denied access to dance classes with white students, her mother paid for private lessons by sewing costumes.

At the age of 15, Collins was allowed to audition for The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The master, Leonide Massine, was so impressed with her talent that he said she could join the company only if she painted her face and body white. She refused and was barred from joining. For the next 16 years, she was an outcast in the dance world until she moved to New York. There, she was allowed to dance to her own choreography a the 92nd Street YMHA. It was because of this performance that she was finally “discovered.”

In 1950, she appeared in the Cole Porter musical “Out of this World,” in which she received the Donaldson Award for Best Broadway dancer. In 1952, she became the first African-American prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera. She had the lead roles in “Aida,” “Samson and Delilah,” and “Carmen.” She began to tour throughout the world, appeared on television variety shows, and gave solo dance recitals.

Later in life, she taught at several colleges and dance institutes, including the School of American Ballet in New York City. After she retired from teaching in 1974, she became a painter of religious art from a studio in Seattle, Washington until her death in 2003. Janet Collins was a pioneer in the field of dance who fought racial prejudice and rejection throughout her early life. Her talent and resolve helped her to break through those barriers to become one of the greatest dancers in American history. Janet Collins story is one of a great American.

Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario in Canada. His parents were both fugitive slaves from Kentucky that escaped via the Underground Railroad. When McCoy was five years old, his parents moved back to the United States and settled in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At the age of 15, McCoy traveled to Scotland to apprentice as a mechanical engineer. After earning his certification, he moved back to the United States and resided in Michigan.

Unable to find work as an engineer, McCoy took a job as a fireman and oilman for the Michigan Central Railroad. One of his many duties was lubricating engine parts. This task was very time consuming because it required the train to stop while he lubricating the axles and bearings. In 1872, he created a "lubricating cup" which automatically drips oil when and where it was needed. His patented invention was met with enormous success. Other companies tried to duplicate the device, but most customers wanted the original device invented by McCoy. This story has led some to believe that the expression "The Real McCoy" is derived from companies requesting the authentic "McCoy" device over similar imitations.

McCoy moved to Detroit, Michigan in 1868. He sold a small percentage of his patent rights in order to finance a workshop. This gave McCoy the opportunity to devote all of his attention to creating better lubricating machines. He patented over 50 devices for lubricating everything from steam engines, oil drilling rigs, mining equipment, factory machinery and naval vessels. In 1916, he created a graphite lubricator used for larger machinery. In 1920, he created the "Elijah McCoy Manufacturing Company," and marketed lubricators throughout the world. He even expanded his scope of inventions to include a portable ironing board and a lawn sprinkler.

According to the 1909 book "Story of a Negro" by Booker T. Washington, Elijah McCoy had more patents than any other African-American up to that time. His inventions helped expand the railroad industry as well as the automobile industry. His mechanical genius made him one of the greatest inventors in American History. In 2001, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He was born a Canadian, but moved back the United States to become a great American citizen.