20 Extraordinary Black Americans Who Changed The World

[Callalily]

I hadn't heard of several people on this list. They all inspire.

https://www.inspiremore.com/20-extraordinary-black-american-heroes/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20Smile%202-1-21&utm_term=Morning%20Smile%20-%20Daily

[lastlib]

1. Terrific list.

PBS/NOVA had a show last week about chemist Percy Julian and his struggle against racism. Against long odds, he earned a PhD and pioneered the synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. Much of his work in this endeavor was truly ground-breaking. Well worth checking out.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. That was an excellent program. It really placed his accomplishments in context of the times.

Chemistry has come so far since that time it's easy to underappreciate the scope and import of his work. Seeing one of the reaction steps carried out by a sodium/ethanol reduction made me realize how many of our "basic" reactions were totally unknown at the time (nowadays, we'd routinely use lithium aluminum hydride -- much cleaner and more efficient). And none of our modern spectroscopic methods! In place of our information-rich, nondestructive modern methods of analysis, chemists in the early part of the 20th century had to perform a combustion analysis ( a tedious, exacting procedure) on every new compound they made -- thus destroying that sample of the hard-won compound. Nowadays, you can buy benchtop instruments that do the whole process automatically, or do a hi-resolution mass spectrum instead.

Chemists in those days had to work deductive logic to death to get anywhere, and draw conclusions very carefully from multiple points of evidence -- some of which might be a bit off, if not outright wrong. It was risky business, and embarrassing mistakes were common -- and might not be corrected for years. Without some of that understanding, it's hard to really appreciate how exceptional his talent was. I mention this particularly because I know there will be some (not on this board, I hope) who will believe he's getting all this belated attention just because he was the only prominent black chemist of his day. He should have gotten more attention, and more reward, in his lifetime -- but academic positions just weren't open to black chemists in those times. Had he been able to land a position at a good university, he could have accomplished a very great deal more. The suggestion that he would have been a Nobel Prize contender, given the chance, does not strike me as hyperbole at all. Much of the work he was able to do -- while working for a paint company! -- had a very significant medical impact, helping to bring steroids into practical use. He wasn't alone in that, but he walked in the company of other giants, who got far more respect from society then he ever did.

[lastlib]

4. Thanks for the insight.

It certainly magnifies the significance of his work. He was truly a giant!

[Kid Berwyn]

2. Marian Anderson

Denied A Stage, She Sang For A Nation



https://www.npr.org/2014/04/09/298760473/denied-a-stage-she-sang-for-a-nation

The DAR must’ve forgotten Crispus Attucks.

https://www.history.com/news/crispus-attucks-american-revolution-boston-massacre