More than your skin

Sunshine’s Reflections

Black History Tribute

Good afternoon.  Today is the last day of Black History month and I wanted to leave you all with a tribute to the many faces that make up Black History today.

More than your skin

by: Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

You are more than the mahogany colored skinned that graces the world with beauty

You are more than the dark chocolate silhouette that traces the night sky

More than a hue on the black spectrum 

You are more than your skin

Engineering runs through your veins

You are scientists, inventors, mathematicians and teachers

Singers, artist, dancers, preachers

You hold world records and honors higher than most

Accolades so high that even your skin begins to boast

Shouting “I AM MORE THAN MY SKIN”

From slavery, to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to President Barack Obama you were destined to win

You were the “first” at many premier designs

You reached for discoveries that still boggle the minds

The minds of many who limited you by color and race

You even became a person who traveled in space

Your reign in the government, Congress, and Senate

Knows no boundaries and holds no limits

You are more than the coffee color that shines on your face

You’ve been washed in precious blood and saved by His grace

Never put limits on whether or not you can win

You are a beautiful person who is more than their SKIN!

Happy Black History Month to you all!

I pray that you share this with everyone that you know.

God bless.

Mrs. Nicole “Sunshine” Ellis

© Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog, 2009 to 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Nicole Ellis and Sunshine’s Reflections Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Black History Fact

Black History Fact

Ben Carson (1951 – ) a skilled neurosurgeon, led the first successful operation to separate a pair of Siamese twin infants who were joined at the back of the head in 1987.

Black History Facts Overload

Black History Facts

I apologize for the gap in Black History Facts.  So today here are some interesting Black History facts…time to OVERLOAD!

Elijah McCoy invented an automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines in 1872. The term “the real McCoy” is believed to be a reference about the reliability of Elijah McCoy’s invention. (1843 – 1929)

Read Elijah McCoy’s Biography

Wilt Chamberlain was the first basketball player to score 100 points in a single game during the 1961 season and the first player in the NBA to score 30,000 points. (1936 – 1999)

Jesse Ernest Wilkins Jr. (1923 – ), a physicist, mathematician and an engineer, earned a PhD. in mathematics at age 19 from the University of Chicago in 1942.

(THIS IS PHENOMENAL):  Ernest entered the University of Chicago in 1936 when only 13 years old and in so doing he became the youngest ever student at that university. His university career was remarkable and he received much publicity when he graduated with his A.B. in mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1940 at the age of only 17 years. He then continued to study mathematics at Chicago for his Master’s Degree and in the following year he was awarded an M.S. He then continued with his doctoral studies at Chicago and submitted his dissertation Multiple Integral Problems in Parametric Form in the Calculus of Variations which led to his being awarded a Ph.D. in December 1942, only a few days after his 19^th birthday.

Minnie Jocelyn Lee Elders was the first African-American and the second woman to serve as the United States Surgeon General. Her term lasted for 15 months (1993 – 1994) ( 1933 – )

Black History Fact #9

Black History Fact # 9

Virginia retires state song

February 17, 1997

Virginia House of Delegates votes unanimously to retire the state song, “Carry me back to old virginia” , a tune which glorifies slavery

Black History Fact #8

Black History Fact # 8

Booker T. Washington was the first African-American to be honored on a U.S. stamp, in 1940. (1856 – 1915)

Black History Fact # 7

Black History Fact #7

Who says that you have to be limited by a diagnosis given by man??? 

Wilma Rudolph a record breaking track star was born the 20th of 22 children, and stricken with polio as a child. She not only overcame polio but broke world records in three Olympic track events and was the first American woman to win three gold medals at the Olympics (1960). (1940 -1994)

Black History Fact #6

Black History Fact #6

Little known fact:

Wally Amos “Famous Amos” creator of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies, was a talent agent at the William Morris Agency where he worked with the likes of The Supremes, Simon & Garfunkel, and various child stars. He founded his cookie company in 1975 with a recipe from his aunt. (1936 – )

Black History Fact #5

Black History Fact # 5

Dr. Charles Drew discovered techniques to store blood and developed blood banks. (1904 – 1950)

Black History Fact #4

Black History Fact #4

DID YOU KNOW:

Jack Johnson (1878 – 1946), the first African–American heavyweight champion, patented a wrench in 1922.

Buffalo Soldiers is the name given to the all-black regiments of the U.S. Army started in 1866. More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers received the highest Medal of Honor for their service –the highest number of any U.S. military unit. The oldest living Buffalo Soldier, Mark Matthews, died at the age of 111 in 2005.

Black History Fact-Influential Women

Black History Fact #3 Influential Women!

 

Maya Angelou’s autobiographical, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” is the first non-fiction work by an African-American woman to make the best-seller list. (1928 – )

Madame C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove) invented specialized hair products for African-American hair and became the first American woman to become a millionaire. (1876 – 1919)