As we continue to honor Black History Month, here is some great inspiration and facts we learned this week:
Motivational Messages
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
”Won’t it be wonderful when black history and Native American history and Jewish history and all of U.S. history is taught from one book. Just U.S. history.” – Maya Angelou
Honorable Historic Moments
On February 25, 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania became the nation’s first Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The University was established through the bequest of Richard Humphreys, a Quaker philanthropist who bequeathed $10,000 — one-tenth of his estate — to design and establish a school to educate people of African descent and prepare them as teachers.
First known as the African Institute, the school was soon renamed the Institute for Colored Youth. In its early years, it provided training in trades and agriculture, which were the predominant skills needed in the general economy.
In 1902, the Institute was relocated to George Cheyney’s farm, a 275-acre property just 25 miles west of Philadelphia. The name “Cheyney” became associated with the school in 1913, though the school’s official name changed several times during the 20th century.
As a charter member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), Cheyney State College became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1983, the oldest of the fourteen member institutions and the only HBCU in the state system.
Inspirational Black Inventors
Before Frederick McKinley Jones developed the automatic refrigeration equipment used in long-haul trucks transporting perishables in the late 1940s, the only way to keep food cold en route to delivery destinations was by using ice. Thanks to his invention, grocery stores were able to buy and sell products (many of which you probably purchase regularly) from far distances without the risk of them spoiling during transport. Jones’ technology was also used to transport blood during World War II.
Black-Owned Delicious Dining Options
20 Black Chefs & Black-Owned Restaurants in Washington, DC
DC’s strong African American history and its status as a popular landing place for talented entrepreneurs and chefs from all over the world has added to the city’s already thriving community of Black chefs and Black-owned restaurants and bars. There’s so much you can experience with each visit. Savor all the stellar dishes and support the community with each reservation through the EatOkra app, retrace the footsteps from a day in the life of a local Black chef and mark your calendar for the annual Black Restaurant Week, when you can take advantage of great dining deals and exclusive programming.
Check out the link above to learn more and read about these establishments!
Meaningful Black History Month Thoughts from M9 Team Members
What does Black History Mean to Me?
By Malik G., Account Manager
I believe black history month provides a platform to acknowledge the accomplishments of African Americans while enduring adversity. Black history to me is American history and although we still have a month separating it, history shows that Americans still have a lot to do to treat races as equal. But the more we celebrate as a country, how far we have overcome; it shines a light on how much more we can do united. “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together” – Desmond Tutu