History

Most of us use global positioning system (GPS) technology on a regular basis, whether it’s to add a location to a social media post or to ask our car’s navigation system to take us to our destination. We do it without giving a second thought to how or by whom GPS technology was invented. Of course, Albert Einstein is well-known, …

The hair of black women is frequently admired and appreciated. From the afro to braids, black hair’s texture extends itself to creating various styles. Even the mainstream media frequently imitates fashions invented for and catered to women with Afrocentric hair, often without acknowledgment. However, there was a time when black women couldn’t show their hair in public. Continue reading to …

The shortest war in history began (and ended) on 27 August 1896. The Anglo-Zanzibar War holds the dubious distinction of being the world’s shortest war, lasting only 38 minutes from the start of hostilities. When the Sultan of Zanzibar died unexpectedly, the British consul was caught off guard when the sultan’s nephew declared himself the new monarch. The consul reminded …

Harriet Tubman (c. 1820–1913) escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad. Who Was Harriet Tubman? Harriet Tubman was born into slavery in Maryland and escaped to freedom in the North in 1849, becoming the Underground Railroad’s most renowned “conductor.” On this sophisticated hidden network of …

Many people think, Washington, D.C., the U.S. headquarters. Originally designed by the white famous architects Pierre Charles L’Enfant, Andrew Ellicot finished the project in 1792 after the former left the building. U.S capital would not be the same if it wasn’t for Benjamin Banneker, the Black architect hired by George Washington, the first President of the United States, to design …

Henry “Box” Brown was born enslaved in Louisa County, Virginia in 1815. When he was 15, he was sent to Richmond to work in a tobacco factory. His life was filled with unrewarding drudgery, though he had it better than most of his enslaved peers. The loss of his freedom prevented him from living with his wife, Nancy, who was …

Who was Marie Van Brittan? Marie Van Brittan Brown was an African American inventor. She created the first home security system with the help of her husband Albert Brown. The patent for her invention was registered with the name of “Home Security System Utilizing Television Surveillance “ in 1966 and was accepted in 1969. The security system created by Marie …

The term “migration” refers to “movement from one country, place, or locality to another.” Humans have been on the move ever since the first humans began to spread from Africa. Even today, at least 258 million people live outside of their country of origin, accounting for 3% of the world’s population. Migration, whether voluntary or forced, has significantly shaped our world. First …

Bantu knots are a protective hairstyle in which the hair is repeatedly sectioned, twisted, and wrapped around the base to make a knot-like appearance stacked on top of one another. Bantu knots can be traced back to the Bantu speaking people, which started in Southern West Africa and moved out through Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa during the Bantu migration, …

The Kingdom of Mauretania was founded in the third century BC, approximately 225 BC. According to modern ethnic taxonomies, its inhabitants are of Berber descent, and it is today located in the western region of Algeria and Northern Morocco. Formation Mauretania was a kingdom ruled by the Mauri Peoples, who would go on to become famous in history. The Phoenicians …