Having been treated as mere commodities from the onset of the slave trade from Africa, battered by discrimination, injustice, poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and blocked avenues of economic opportunity, Black Americans have always been in a perilous social position. Given this, the achievements of Black people which date back over 500 years are astounding; even more so when you consider the way in which their contribution is still positively affecting modern day Black Americans.
The theme of American Black History Month this year is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity”. Below are some examples that exemplify this theme:
Education - Lucy Stanton became the first Black woman in America to complete a four-year college degree, after graduating from Oberlin College in 1850 with a literary degree.
Invention - Hairdresser Christina M. Jenkins is credited with inventing the weave. The Louisiana native earned a patent for her creation in 1952 (which was overturned in 1965).
Literature - Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, in 1773. Born in Gambia and sold to the Wheatley family in Boston when she was 7 years old, Wheatley was emancipated shortly after her book was released.
Music/Film - In 1940, Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar for her supporting role in Gone With the Wind. 24 years later, Sidney Poitier became the first Black man to win an Oscar for his leading role in Lilies of the Field.
Sport - In 1920, Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall became the first Black athletes to play in the NFL. Pollard was also the league's first Black coach.
The endurance and accomplishments of the above invite us to always remain mindful of these role models/pioneers and the many others like them. At FINTRAIL we support diversity in all its forms, and we believe we must continue to stand against racism with integrity and integrate social justice within as many systems and structures as possible, so we can continue nurturing and empowering each other. Here is how we are actively trying to combat racism in the sector that we operate in.
If you’d like to discuss what your company is doing to counter discrimination, please contact Ishima Romain, Analyst or email us at: contact@fintrail.co.uk.