06/19/2023
Happy Juneteenth!
What is Juneteenth? A federal holiday that celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African American people in the United States and the true end to slavery. It is a day that represents freedom, liberation, and equality.
Today, while we celebrate this day of freedom, we'd like to take the time to honor some African Americans who have made significant contributions to this country.
๐ฆGarret Morgan
Invented the first safety hood for firefighters and the first traffic light.
๐ชง Ella Baker
Organized Civil Rights events, protests, and campaigns and trained individuals to lead them. Her work directly led to the success of the Freedom Rides, and one of her first organizations, In Friendship, was instrumental in fundraising for legal fees and vehicles for carpools during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
โ๏ธ Jane Bolin
The first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School and the nation's first African American woman to be appointed a judge.
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Alice Coachman
The first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
๐ฉ๏ธ Bessie Coleman
She was the first African American woman to earn a pilot's license and made the first public flight by a Black woman in the U.S.
๐ฉบ Dr. Alexa Irene Canady
She was the first African American woman neurosurgeon in the United States.