Black History 365 | # 241 Aunt Polly Jackson

We don’t speak about aunt Polly Jackson enough. Aunt Polly Jackson made a name for herself by courageously fighting off white people who sought to capture freedom seekers. Jackson had escaped to freedom via the Underground Railroad, settling in an Ohio town called Africa, established near Ripley, Ohio. The settlement was made up of escaped African-Americans who were offered land to settle in the town, and it existed along the Underground Railway route. Jackson took them up on their offer, gaining land to settle in Africa and starting a small farm to take care of herself. To pay it forward, Jackson would often help those freedom seekers who passed by her land on their way North. Fed up with the attacks from the Reverse Underground Railroad network, Jackson one day took it upon herself to rescue, protect and help formerly enslaved people seeking freedom. Jackson would dress herself up as an old lady, knowing that older people usually avoided being attacked, and she would go out at night carrying a butcher knife wrapped in cloth and a kettle of boiling water. Armed with mere kitchen essentials, Jackson would fight off slave capturers, using the boiling water as a backup if the knife didn’t work. Jackson used her home as a safe haven, housing freedom seekers and helping them navigate further North.  Beautiful.

Black History 365 | # 240 Marian Croak

Shoutout to Marian R. Croak. Marian Croak is the reason we’re able to speak on digital devices. She is a prolific inventor in the voice and data communication fields, with over 200 patents to her name. She is best known for developing Voice Over Internet Protocols (VoIP), technology that converts your voice into a digital signal, allowing you to make a call directly from a computer or other digital device.  Croak’s career took off in 1982 when she joined AT&T Bell Laboratories. There, she served in various positions in voice and data communication for over three decades. Predicting that the Internet would take over wire technology, Croak felt compelled to develop technology that would “transform the internet.” She succeeded by establishing the fundamentals for what is now called VoIP.  While climbing the ladder at AT&T Labs, Croak furthered technology in areas such as voice and text messaging on cellular phones. She invented the technology that allows people to send text-based donations to charity. She’s quoted as saying, "Many people think inventors have to be brilliant and off the charts in terms of their IQ, super smart and super academic in school and have gotten all A's, and that's not at all true. Inventors are usually people like you. Sometimes they're good at certain things, other times they're not, and that's ok. Just focus on what you want to change and you become that change and can make that change happen." How real is that? Thank you for your contributions.

Black History 365 | # 239 Bobby Hutton

This is Bobby Hutton. Lil Bobby Hutton was the first to join the newly formed Black Panther Party for Self Defense. He was only 16 years old when he joined but like many in the community he believed in the ideals that Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton had outlined in the Ten-Point Program; he was dedicated to serving his community. On April 6, 1968, Oakland police ambushed a carload of Black Panther Party members on a side street. An hour and a half shootout ensued, resulting in the death of Bobby Hutton and the arrest of all others present on the scene. Bobby Hutton was shot more than twelve times after he had already surrendered and stripped down to his underwear to prove he was not armed. Bobby was well trusted and became the BPP’s first treasurer. Bobby was a key organizer for Black Student Unions on high school campuses. He was a key organizer of the Free Huey rallies in front of the Alameda County Courthouse. April 12th is Lil’ Bobby Hutton day. God bless you Bobby Hutton. Thank you for your contributions.

Black History 365 | # 238 Juneteenth

Happy Juneteenth everyone! June 19, 1865 in Galveston Bay Texas is when the army announced that the 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were freed by executive order. This was 2+ years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Today is Juneteenth, celebrate it well.

Black History 365 | # 237 Dr. Marimba Ani

Dr. Marimba Ani (born Dona Richards) is an anthropologist whose work wrestles and concludes to de-center whiteness. Her philosophy is that it is revelatory to be able to develop theories, “definitions of reality”, and structure around one’s own culture. She is quoted as saying “You’re not an African because you’re born in Africa. You’re an African because Africa is born in you. It’s in your genes…your DNA…your entire biological make up. Whether you like it or not, that’s the way it is. However, if you were to embrace this truth with open arms…my, my, my…what a wonderful thing.” Her belief is that the African worldview is imperative to building institutions, both figuratively and literally. Centering whiteness has conditioned us off of this path to enlightenment. She is best known for her work Yurugu:An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior, a comprehensive critique of European thought and culture, and her coining of the term "Maafa" for the African holocaust. As an African Studies scholar Ani completed her BA degree at the University of Chicago, and holds MA and Ph.D. degrees in anthropology from the Graduate Faculty of the New School University. Highly advise you read her book(s) and/or sit back and check out her lecture(s). Thank you for your contributions!