Black
History- Making a Difference
The purpose
of this special section is to highlight the lives of African-Americans
who are making a difference in our world today. The staff
of ClassBrain feels that the accomplishments of those listed
below are nothing short of outstanding and should be recognized.
Tyrone Willingham,
formerly the head coach of the football program at Stanford
University, was recently announced as the new head coach for
the Notre Dame football program. The Black Coaches Association
named Tyrone Willingham as ÎNational Coach of the YearĖ in 1995
and 1996. The BCA is a non-profit organization whose primary
function is to foster growth and development of minorities at
all levels of sports, both nationally and internationally.
Willingham is making a difference today as he is the very first
black head coach in any sports club for the Irish. In
a sport frequently criticized for its lack of minority head
coaches, he is paving the way for future African-American athletes
and coaches and should be recognized for his talent.
Source:
Student Advantage, Inc.
Image
Courtesy of John Hopkins Medicine
Life wasn't
always joyous for Ben Carson. He went from being a ghetto
kid with problems in school to the most celebrated pediatric
neurosurgeon in the world, but not without hard work.
Ben was the youngest person ever to be named head brain surgeon
at John Hopkins Memorial in Maryland. His practice includes
traumatic brain injuries, brain and spinal cord tumors, neurological
and congenial disorders and many more specializations.
His is active in research programs, has written over 90 neurosurgical
publications and is the author of three best selling books.
They include Gifted Hands,Think
Big, and The Big Picture. Ben should
be recognized not only for his gifts in the medical field, but
for the compassionate humanitarian he really is.
Source:
John Hopkins Hospital & Think Big
Although
he died on April 1st, 1950, physician and surgeon
Charles Richard Drew should be recognized for something we could
never have gone without during the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks.
He is responsible for organizing the concept of the Blood Bank.
In his research he discovered that blood plasma could be used
for transfusion. This was due to longer life of the blood
with the cells removed (plasma). He was the first director
of the American Red Cross Blood Bank supplying blood to the
U.S. forces in 1941 during World War II. His blood plasma
bank in New York City served as one of the models for the widespread
system of blood banks now in operation for the American Red
Cross. Although he is no longer with us, the impact Drew
made on modern life is apparent.
Source:
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences,
Princeton University
For
more on African Americans in the Sciences, check out: The
Faces of Science.
Image
courtesy of the Hoover Institute
Rice enrolled
at the University of Denver at the age of 15 and graduated with
a bachelorĖs degree in political science (Cum Laude) at age
19. She also received her MasterĖs in Political Science
at the University of Notre Dame, and her Doctorate in Political
Science from the University of DenverĖs Graduate School of International
Studies. She has written numerous articles and books on
international relations and foreign affairs. Besides all
of the above, Rice is the National
Security Advisor for the United States and is known for
her expertise on Russian affairs and arms control.
Source:
Stanford University & U.S Department of State
Powell's
parents were immigrants from Jamaica to the U.S. and he grew
up in the slums of the south Bronx, New York City. He
served in the Army for 35 years and became the 1st
black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell is
an accomplished public speaker who connects with kids through
programs like the Groundhog Job Shadow Day. He published
his best selling autobiography, My American Journey,
in 1995. Perhaps one of the most important days of his
life was on January 20th, 2001 when he was sworn
in as the 65th Secretary of State. More importantly
he is the 1st African-American Secretary of State.
Source:
Lucid Interactive & U.S. Department of State
