Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in economics in the United States, in 1921, from the University of Pennsylvania. Because of her race she was not granted a job at the school after graduating. Even during her first year in college she was told that she could not check out books in the school library. Yikes, imagine that. In 1927, she pivoted to law and became the first woman to earn a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. At law school, the dean attempted to deny her participation in the law review, but her fellow students insisted that she be given the honor that she had earned. She joined her husband’s practice, specializing in estate and family law. She was appointed Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia and held that position from 1928 to 1930 and from 1934 to 1938. From that time forward, she served on numerous boards, committees, and commissions and held office in many local and national organizations. Most notably, Harry Truman appointed her to his Civil Rights committee. In November 1989, Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander died of complications from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s Disease. Thank you for your contributions.
Black History 365 | # 179 John Amos
John Amos, best known for the role of the father James Evans in Good Times passed away August of 2024. He was also known as Knute Kinte in Roots. Good Times featured one of television’s first Black two-parent families. Among Amos’ film credits were “Let’s Do It Again” with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, “Die Hard 2,” “Madea’s Witness Protection” and “Uncut Gems” with Adam Sandler. He was in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video “Natural Born Killaz.” After three seasons of critical acclaim and high ratings on Good Times, Amos was fired. He had become critical of the show’s white writing staff creating storylines that he felt were inauthentic to the Black characters. “There were several examples where I said, ‘No, you don’t do these things. It’s anathema to Black society. I’ll be the expert on that, if you don’t mind,‘” he told Time magazine. “And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.” Rest in peace John Amos.
Black History 365 | # 178 Marileidy Paulino
Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won World Championship gold in the women’s 400m August of 2023, finally claiming top spot on the podium after silvers at 2023’s Tokyo Olympics and doing it in record style. She made history, becoming the first woman from the Dominican Republic to win an Olympic gold medal in any sport. Paulino dominated the second curve and pulled away over the last straightaway, becoming the fifth-fastest woman at 400 meters in 48.17 seconds, which set a new Olympic record, breaking the previous record of 48.25 last held by France's Marie-Jose Perec.
Black History 365 | # 177 The Visual Shrinking of Africa
The true size of Africa is not shown on the map, it is distorted and is made to appear smaller than it actually is on the most commonly used world map, the Mercator map. The Mercator map is based on the method of projection developed in 1569 by the European cartographer, Geert de Kremer. The United States, Spain, Ireland, Germany, France, Norway, Colombia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Poland, China, Ukraine, India, & The United Kingdom can all fit in Africa.
Black History 365 | # 176 The African Origins of Horchata
If you didn’t know…African culture is deeply rooted in black culture. According to jamesbeard.org & Legacy Network advisor Selasie Dotse — “Horchata is also rooted in Black culture. The type of horchata that dates back to ancient times is a drink more specifically called ‘horchata de chufa,’ made from soaked, ground, and sweetened tiger nuts. Horchata de chufa originated in North Africa around 2400 B.C.E., and with the Roman conquest of Egypt, the drink was dubbed ‘hordeata.’ The Moors then brought horchata to West Africa and Spain in the eighth century. As it spread through Spain, France, and England, the drink continued to be enjoyed both for its refreshing quality and for its perceived health benefits. The concept of horchata then spread from Spain to Mexico in the course of colonization. Because Spanish conquistadors didn’t bring tiger nuts with them to “the New World,” this variety of horchata was rice-based, and called horchata de arroz or agua de horchata, flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, and in some regions, marigolds. The drink took hold in Mexico and spread throughout North and South America. Variations on this drink are what most Americans would name and recognize as ‘horchata.’”