Celebrate Black Lives

by Hannah

Although we celebrate black lives in the month of February, we need to look at and celebrate all their wonderful achievements all year round, not just in February. I hope you enjoy reading about the following two amazing black people, and reading a few books by black authors this month.

George Washington Carver was born in Missouri, and his birth date is unknown, although historians believe it was around 1864. George, his mother, and his sister were kidnapped by people called slave raiders, who kidnapped slaves and sold them to others. Moses Carver, the man who had enslaved his family, found George before he could be sold, but not his mother or sister. George never saw either of them again.

After slavery ended, George became interested in plants, and eventually went on to become the first black person to graduate from Iwoa State College, and than went on to become a teacher at Tuskegee Institue.

While he was there, he researched sweet potatoes, peanuts, and soybeans. He was the inventor of approximately 300 different peanut products! They were things like shaving cream, lotion, flour, paper, and so, so much more!

Shirley Chisholm was born on November 30, 1924. First, she had a job on the Agricultural Committee, although she didn’t like it. She complained to other leaders until she was allowed into the Education Committee. Eventually, she even tried to run for president, the first ever African American woman to do so! However, she was blocked from television debate companies, and so she sued them.

Finally, after lots of hard work, she was elected onto the United States Congress, and held a position there for 14 years. She died on the 1st of January in 2005. She said she wanted to be remembered as not someone who achieved many firsts, but as someone who “had guts.”

Great Books By Black Authors to Check Out!

Hair Love by Mathew Cherry, for all readers

I Am Enough by Grace Byers, for all readers

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, for older readers

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, for all readers