What problem?

The other day I was talking with my father about my plans for the summer. This summer I plan on taking a semester off from school and doing some missionary work . I have the option of either going to S. Africa, Ghana, or Nigeria. I haven’t made a decision on which country I will go to, yet. But, as I was discussing the details and options of each assignment with my father- he made a very good point. He listened to me go on and on about the various ways that I feel that I could help with the needs of each country. I was trying my best to tell him how badly I was needed. I even tried to be clever by quoting, Ghandi. “Be the change you want to see in the world,” I urged. I told him about some of the places that I felt I could be most useful. I even showed him booklets with different projects and itineraries. He listened with compassion and I could tell by the nods of his head that he agreed. From time to time he would moan in disbelief when I shared statistics and stories with him. He was familiar with some of the information, he said. In fact, he shared some of his future plans with me. He definitely agreed with my decision. He even told me that he had somethings that he was working on to help the underdeveloped countries. But, after I finished sharing my plans with him he just stared in silence. There was an odd moment of silence between us. I became so uncomfortable that I felt the need to say something. So, I blurted it out. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” “Well,” he slowly answered. And in the most loving and concerned voice, he uttered… “Who’s going to help fix the problems that we have here in America?” “What problem?” I asked. I wasn’t being sarcastic either. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am aware of the problems in the US but, I asked this question with all honesty. In my opinion, there are so many problems here I just wanted to know exactly what specific problem was he talking about. Then, in the same manner that I had just pleaded all my reasons for leaving this country for two weeks, my sensible father began to name all the problems that we have here.
Ok, I will summarize the list of problems that he stated for your sake because our discussion lasted for f few hours . The order that I have listed them in does not reflect priority. I just listed them randomly.
These are just a few of the problems that we are facing: The United States of America is facing tremendous financial crisis. Financial institutions are breaking down. The Great Depression forced many in America into poverty back in the 1930's. Could it happen again? Food banks around the country are turning people away because demand has surpassed supply. As gas prices continue to rise, so does the cost of food. Wages continue to decline against inflation which helped create a severe and urgent need for food. War in Iraq, high unemployment rates, education, budget, housing, energy policies, oil dependency, health care, health insurance, politicians, inflation, corruption within the system.
I felt like crying because we hadn’t even discussed the moral issues that this country is facing. It seems one can hardly watch the television anymore without being bombarded by profanity, sexually explicit content, or barely clothed women prancing around – and that’s just the commercials! How about schools? When I grew up, my school day started with the pledge of allegiance to our flag. Prayer was still allowed in schools back then, and my high school graduation opened and closed with prayers led by the local clergy. Saying the pledge of allegiance is disapproved of in many areas. We hadn’t discussed the issues facing American children: like sexting (another new wave that has struck- texting sexual messages amongst teens)
My father had made a good point. We have a lot of problems going on in America right now. To be honest, many Americans are tense. Many are worried. Some say that we have been here before and prevailed. While others say that this could possibly be the beginning of something grimmer.


So, who’s going to fix the problem that America is facing. Sadly, many people feel that our new President must bare the weight of our sorrows. But, I totally disagree with that notion. While I do believe that President Obama has the power within his reach to make our problems better or worse; its unfair to put that weight on any one human. I guess I have to listen to my own words. “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” Thank you, Daddy. Thank you, Ghandi.

Notable names. . .just a few

Benjamin Banneker
(1731-1806) Born into a family of free blacks in Maryland, Banneker learned the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic from his grandmother and a Quaker schoolmaster. Later he taught himself advanced mathematics and astronomy. He is best known for publishing an almanac based on his astronomical calculations.

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
(1856-1931) Williams was born in Pennsylvania and attended medical school in Chicago, where he received his M.D. in 1883. He founded the Provident Hospital in Chicago in 1891, and he performed the first successful open heart surgery in 1893.

George Washington Carver
(1865?-1943) Born into slavery in Missouri, Carver later earned degrees from Iowa Agricultural College. The director of agricultural research at the Tuskegee Institute from 1896 until his death, Carver developed hundreds of applications for farm products important to the economy of the South, including the peanut, sweet potato, soybean, and pecan.

Percy L. Julian
(1899-1975) Alabama-born Julian held a bachelor's degree from DePauw University, a master's degree from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna. His most famous achievement is his synthesis of cortisone, which is used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.


Dr. Charles Richard Drew
(1904-1950) Born in Washington, D.C., Drew earned advanced degrees in medicine and surgery from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, in 1933 and from Columbia University in 1940. He is particularly noted for his research in blood plasma and for setting up the first blood bank.

Thomas L. Jennings
(1791-1859) A tailor in New York City, Jennings is credited with being the first African American to hold a U.S. patent. The patent, which was issued in 1821, was for a dry-cleaning process.

Elijah McCoy
(1844-1929) The son of escaped slaves from Kentucky, McCoy was born in Canada and educated in Scotland. Settling in Detroit, Michigan, he invented a lubricator for steam engines (patented 1872) and established his own manufacturing company. During his lifetime he acquired 57 patents

Lewis Howard Latimer
(1848-1929) Born in Chelsea, Mass., Latimer learned mechanical drawing while working for a Boston patent attorney. He later invented an electric lamp and a carbon filament for light bulbs (patented 1881, 1882). Latimer was the only African-American member of Thomas Edison's engineering laboratory.

Granville T. Woods
(1856-1910) Woods was born in Columbus, Ohio, and later settled in Cincinnati. Largely self-educated, he was awarded more than 60 patents. One of his most important inventions was a telegraph that allowed moving trains to communicate with other trains and train stations, thus improving railway efficiency and safety.

Garrett Augustus Morgan
(1877-1963) Born in Kentucky, Morgan invented a gas mask (patented 1914) that was used to protect soldiers from chlorine fumes during World War I. Morgan also received a patent (1923) for a traffic signal that featured automated STOP and GO signs. Morgan's invention was later replaced by traffic lights

Frederick McKinley Jones
(1892-1961) Jones was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. An experienced mechanic, he invented a self-starting gas engine and a series of devices for movie projectors. More importantly, he invented the first automatic refrigeration system for long-haul trucks (1935). Jones was awarded more than 40 patents in the field of refrigeration.

David Crosthwait, Jr.
(1898-1976) Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Crosthwait earned a B.S. (1913) and M.S. (1920) from Purdue University. An expert on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, he designed the heating system for Radio City Music Hall in New York. During his lifetime he received some 40 U.S. patents relating to HVAC systems.

Patricia Bath
(1942-) Born in Harlem, New York, Bath holds a bachelor's degree from Hunter College and an M.D. from Howard University. She is a co-founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Bath is best known for her invention of the Laserphaco Probe for the treatment of cataracts.

February is Black History Month. Better known as a time to commemorate African-Americans who have changed the world. I’d much rather it be known as African American History Month, but that’s my preference. We can discuss my views about that later. For now, lets just celebrate!
Black History month was started by Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Carter G. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), the son of former slaves James and Eliza (Riddle) Woodson, was born on a small farm in New Canton, Virginia. From an early age he possessed an unquenchable thirst for learning. When he could, he attended the local school, and eventually went to Berea
College in Kentucky. Ultimately, he obtained a B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1907. In 1908 he attended Sorbonne University in Paris where he became fluent in French. He received a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University in 1912, becoming only the second African-American to earn such a degree.
Woodson taught briefly and held educational administrative posts in the Philippines, at Howard University (where he was Dean of the School of Liberal Arts), and West Virginia State College. Carter Godwin Woodson was the founder of Associated publishers, founder and editor of the Negro History Bulletin, and the author of more than thirty books. Probably Woodson's best known book is The Mis-Education of the Negro, originally published in 1933 and still relevant today. In the Mis-Education of the Negro Dr. Woodson stated that:

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his 'proper place' and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary."

In 1926 Woodson initiated the first annual February observance of Negro History Week. He chose February for the observance because February twelfth was Abraham Lincoln's birthday and February fourteenth was the accepted birthday of Frederick Douglass. In 1976, the Bicentennial (200th birthday) of the U.S.A., the week-long observance was extended to the entire month of February in order to have enough time for celebratory programs and activities