Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements
Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and accomplishments of African American figures in U.S. History. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Since the inception of this event, the focus was to encourage the teaching of the history of Black Americans and honor their roles in making our world better. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
US Military Heroes
Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and accomplishments of African American figures in U.S. History. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Since the inception of this event, the focus was to encourage the teaching of the history of Black Americans and honor their roles in making our world better. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
African Americans Who Shook the World UP
DR. CHARLES RICHARD DREW
Dr. Charles Richard Drew was an African American surgeon and medical researcher. He researched and developed improved techniques for blood storage and applied his expert
knowledge to developing large-scale blood banks. This allowed medics to save thousands of Allied forces’ lives during World War II.
IRA ALDRIDGE
Ira Frederick Aldridge was an American and later British stage actor and playwright. He made his career after 1824, largely in London and in Europe. Ira is most famous for his Shakespearean roles. Ira was the first American of African descent to reach success on an international stage. In the years leading up to the emancipation of all slaves in the British colonies in 1832, Ira would speak of the injustice of slavery to his closing night audiences.
DR. KIZZMEKIA CORBETT
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett (Kizzy) is a viral immunologist. She was a scientific lead on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and immunopathogeneses team. Dr. Corbett recently joined the Harvard Chan School to continue vaccine development.
NEWSWORTHY:
Philadelphia Celebrates Harriet Tubman’s 200th Birthday at City Hall
Nine feet tall and bronze, “Harriet Tubman, The Journey to Freedom” was sculpted by Wesley Wofford. The traveling sculpture was unveiled on the northeast corner of City Hall on January 11th, 2022. The sculpture will reside at this corner until the end of March when the city celebrates the anniversary of her birth in March of 1822.
Philadelphia has specific significance to Harriet’s story. This is the city she found safe harbor in after her escape from Maryland, as well as staging many of her returning raids to free others from slavery.
34-Year-Old Real Estate Investor, Devonne Reaves, Bought Two Additional Hotels and She Wants to Help Others Do the Same
Choates G Contracting- A Black Family-owned Construction Firm is Awarded 7 Multi-Million Dollar Contracts Including JFK Airport
Sidney Poitier, Oscar-winning Actor, and Hollywood’s First Black Movie Star, Dies at 94.
Martin Luther King’s daughter Bernice thanks Prince Harry, Meghan Markle for Food Donation to MLK Day Volunteers.
Workplace Communication Success:
1. Listening
Being a good listener is one of the best ways to be a great communicator.
Practice active listening- pay close attention to what is being said to you, ask clarification questions, and rephrase what is being said to ensure you understand.
2. Nonverbal Communication
Pay attention to your body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and tone of message you’re trying to convey. Open arms, relaxed legs, and friendly tone of voice will make you appear more approachable.
Eye contact is important; looking a person in the eye demonstrates you are focused on the person and the conversation.
3. Clarity and Concision
Good communication means saying just enough- don’t talk too much or too little. Convey your message in as few words as possible (be clear and direct).
4. Friendliness
Try using a friendly tone, a simple smile, or a personal question can encourage your coworkers to engage in open and honest communication with you.
5. Confidence
Be confident in your interaction with others. Confidence shows coworkers you believe in what you’re saying, and they should too.
To show confidence you should make eye contact and use a firm but friendly tone of voice.
6. Open-Mindedness
Be open to listening and understanding, rather than focusing on getting your message across.
Be willing to kindly and respectfully dialogue, even with whom you disagree with.
7. Feedback
Be confident in your interaction with others. Confidence shows coworkers you believe in what you’re saying, and they should too.
To show confidence you should make eye contact and use a firm but friendly tone of voice.
Kids’ Corner:
1. Play Red Light, Green Light
You might ask what the game Red Light, Green Light has to do with Black History Month, but it all makes complete sense when you learn about Garrett Morgan! Garrett Morgan was an African American inventor who patented the 3-position traffic signal.
2. Craft a Paper Rocket
After becoming a doctor and severing in Peace Corps, Mae Jemison joined NASA. She became a crew member of the space shuttle Endeavour making her the first African American woman to enter space.
3. Play a Game of Telephone
Granville Tailer Woods was the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War. He held over 60 patents in the US. Mr. Woods patented a device, combining a telephone and telegraph, which was purchased by Alexander Graham Bell.
4. Read
All Because You Matter- a love letter to black and brown children, written by Tami Charles, reminding them how much they matter now, how much they will always matter, and how they have always mattered.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY
1. Rosa Parks wasn’t the first
Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl, refused to move to the back of a bus nine months before Parks did.
2. MLK improvised his most famous speech
Although he had prepared notes, Martin Luther King Jr. improvised much of his “I Have A Dream” speech
3. Esther came before Betty
The iconic cartoon character Betty Boop was modeled after a Harlem jazz singer named Esther Jones.
4. There were Black senators in the 19th century
The first Black U.S. senator was Hiram Revels, who took office in 1870.
5. Satchel Paige was baseball’s first black hall-of-famer
Pitcher Satchel Paige was the first Black player to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Alisha Adams – HR – Senior H.R. Business Partner
• Antoinette Colon – HR- Director of H.R. & Risk Management
• Janell Savoy – IBHS – Clinician
• Tatyana Robbins – IBHS – Behavioral Health Technician
• Talitha Cottle – IBHS – Clinician
• Erin Moskowitz – IBHS – Behavioral Health Technician
• Christopher Stuart – FB – Therapist
• Falon Miles – FB- Therapist
• Jamila Love – AOP6C – Program Support Specialist
