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[February is Black History Month. During Black History Month we remember the
events and the important people who contributed to our recent history. Since February
is Black History Month we started off the announcements this month with a song
honoring some of the important people who have made contributions to United States
history. Each day in February, we will remember people who, despite challenging
events, made a difference.
While we should recognize African Americans and their accomplishments during any
month, we should take time to appreciate those individuals and the miraculous
contributions that they have made to the world. Accomplishments are not distinguished
by race or gender. However, there was a time when African Americans had to fight for
their rights and voice. We will never forget their bravery and achievements.]
Carter G. Woodson. In 1926, Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of
Negro Life and History announced the second week of February to be "Black History
Week". This week was chosen because it marked the birthday of both
President Abraham Lincoln (who abolished slavery) and Frederick Douglass (a former
slave who was the leader of the movement to end slavery).
In February of 1969 the leaders of the Black United Students at Kent State
University proposed that Black History Week should be Black History Month. The first
celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State University one year later, in
February 1970.
In 1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial, the informal expansion of Negro
History Week to Black History Month was officially recognized by the U.S. government.
President Gerald Ford spoke in regards to this, urging Americans to "seize the
opportunity to honor black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our
history."
Thank you to Carter G. Woodson who started Black History Week which evolved into
Black History Month.
Louis Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music
from collective improvisation to solo performance. As a trumpet player, Louis
Armstrong had a unique tone and an extraordinary talent for melodic improvisation.
Through Louis Armstrong’s playing, the trumpet emerged as a solo
instrument in jazz and is used widely today. With Louis Armstrong’s
innovations, he raised the bar musically for all who came after him. Thank you Louis
Armstrong, for your contributions to music. You made a difference.
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Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was
an African-American civil rights activist, whom the United States Congress called "the
first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement".[1]
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to obey a bus
driver’s order to give up her seat in the colored section to a white passenger, after the
white section was filled. She said no and the bus driver called the police to arrest her.
Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat was the catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Both became important symbols of the modern Civil Rights Movement to end racial
segregation and discrimination against black Americans and enforce constitutional
voting rights.
Her birthday, February 4, and the day she was arrested, December 1, have both
become Rosa Parks Day, commemorated in the U.S. states of California and Ohio.
Resources: If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks, by Faith Ringgold.
Bessie Coleman became well known for her skills as a pilot.
About 100 years ago, since Bessie Coleman could not gain admission to American flight
schools because she was black and a woman and no black U.S. aviator would train her,
she went to France. Bessie Coleman became not only the first African-American woman
to earn an aviation pilot's license, and the first African-American woman to earn an
international aviation license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, but she
was also the first American of any gender or ethnicity to do so. Determined to polish her
skills, Coleman spent the next two months taking lessons from a French ace pilot near
Paris, and in September 1921 sailed for New York. She became a media sensation when
she returned to the United States.
Bessie Coleman was offered a role in a movie called Shadow and Sunshine. She gladly
accepted, hoping the publicity would help to advance her career and provide her with
some of the money she needed to establish her own flying school. But upon learning that
the first scene in the movie required her to appear in tattered clothes, with a walking
stick and a pack on her back, she refused to proceed. She had no intention of
perpetuating the image of black people that movies often portrayed. She stood up for
what she believed. Thank you Bessie Coleman for making a difference.
In 1948, Marie Daly became the first African American woman to earn a PhD in
Chemistry. In 1955, Daly taught biochemistry at Columbia’s College of Physicians and
Surgeons. She began collaborating with Dr. Quentin B. Deming to investigate the
underlying causes of heart attacks. Marie Daly and her colleague found that
high cholesterol levels contributed to the blockage of arteries that supply
oxygen to the heart. Marie Daly also investigated the effects of sugar on the function
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of coronary arteries. Later, she became a pioneer in studying the impact of cigarette
smoking on the lungs.
In 1960 Daly and Deming moved to Yeshiva University at the Albert Einstein College of
Medicine in New York City. At Yeshiva, she continued her research and taught
biochemistry courses. She enjoyed teaching medical students and was dedicated to
increasing the number of minority students enrolled in medical schools. Daly also
served as an investigator for the American Heart Association; she was especially
interested in how hypertension affects the circulatory system. She was a member of the
prestigious Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences for two years. Daly
retired from the Einstein College of Medicine in 1986, and in 1988 she established a
scholarship for African American chemistry and physics majors at Queens
College in memory of her father. Thank you Marie Daly for your work in
discovering life saving information and for increasing access to education for minorities.
You made a difference.
Maya Angelou is a world famous poet, author, historian singer and civil rights activist.
Dr. Angelou has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential
Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards.
President Clinton requested that she compose a poem to read at his inauguration in
1993. Dr. Angelou's reading of her poem "On the Pulse of the Morning" was broadcast
live around the world.
Dr. Angelou has received over 30 honorary degrees and is Reynolds Professor of
American Studies at Wake Forest University. Dr. Angelou’s words and actions continue
to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds and heal our hearts. Thank you
Dr. Angelou for your teaching us through your writing. You made a
difference.
Langston Hughes is one of the greatest American writers. Hughes was a poet,
essayist, novelist, playwright, journalist and lyricist born in Joplin, Missouri. Many
called him the Poet Laureate of Harlem.
He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry.
Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance.
Martin Luther King Jr. was the single most instrumental force in the Civil Rights
Movement during the 1950's and 1960's. His use of a nonviolent approach to atrocities
of humanity granted him the honor of a Nobel Peace Prize and the inspiration of an
American nation and world at large. His famous speech during the march on
Washington is forever engrained in American history as a pivotal point in the nation’s
history. He influenced several political policies and calls to action, most notably the Civil
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Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed major forms of discrimination against African
Americans and women, including racial segregation. It ended unequal application of
voter registration requirements and racial segregation. Martin Luther King was a living
example that one person could change the world, with help of many.
Jane Bolin was the first black woman to become judge in the United States (1932) .
She was also the first black woman to earn a law degree from Yale, the first black woman
to pass the New York State bar exam and the first to join the city's law department.
Bolin worked to end segregation in child placement facilities and the assignment of
probation officers based on race. She also helped create a racially integrated treatment
center for delinquent boys.
Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation
efforts in Palestine during the 1940s, he was also the first African-American to receive a
Nobel Peace Prize. He also received the Medal of Freedom from President John F.
Kennedy. Dr. Bunche was also directly involved in the building of the United Nations. A
prominent advocate of the civil rights movement, he participated in the March on
Washington, and was present during Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream"
speech. Dr. Bunche also attended the Selma to Montgomery march that led to the to the
passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Thank you to Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche for
making a difference.
Known as arguably one of the most intelligent individuals to ever live, W.E.B. Du Bois
was instrumental in bringing along the process of human rights for African-Americans.
He was the best known spokesperson for African-American rights during the first half of
the 20th century.
Du Bois was the first African-American to earn a PH.D from Harvard University. He was
also the founding member of what we know today to be the NAACP (National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People).
Harriet Tubman was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy
during the American Civil War. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently
made more than thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves using the network of
antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. She later
helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry, and in the post-war era
struggled for women's suffrage.
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Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, orator, writer and statesman.
After escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining
note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing. He stood as a living
counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves did not have the intellectual
capacity to function as independent American citizens. Many Northerners also found it
hard to believe that such a great orator had been a slave.
Douglass actively supported women's suffrage. Without his approval, he became the
first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States as the running
mate of Victoria Woodhull on the impracticable and small Equal Rights Party ticket.
Douglass held multiple public offices. Douglass was a firm believer in the equality of all
people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant, famously quoted
as saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."
George Washington Carver was born in 1860 in Diamond Grove,
Missouri and in became one of the most commemorated and highly regarded scientists
in United States history. His significant discoveries and methods allowed farmers
through the South and Midwest to become successful and profitable.
Bill Cosby
Over the past century, few entertainers have achieved the legendary status of William H.
Cosby Jr., better known as Bill Cosby. His successes span five decades and virtually all
media, remarkable accomplishments for a kid who emerged from humble beginnings in
a Philadelphia project.
In the 1960s, his stand-up act was a coast-to-coast sensation, spawning a string of
hilarious, best-selling comedy albums, which went on to win eight Gold Records, five
Platinum records and five Grammy Awards. His role on TV’s I Spy made him the first
African-American to co-star in a dramatic series, breaking television’s racial barrier and
winning three Emmy Awards. In the 1980s, he again rocked the television world with
The Cosby Show, a gentle, whimsical and hugely successful series that single-handedly
revived the family sitcom (and rescued NBC).
With hit movies like Uptown Saturday Night and best-selling books like Fatherhood, Bill
Cosby is quite simply a national treasure with the unique ability to touch people’s hearts.
He works hard to influence people to see the importance of education, self-respect and
self-improvement.
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President Barack Obama first African American editor of the Harvard Law Review
and first black president of the United States. In 2009, Barack Obama was awarded The
Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy
and cooperation between peoples.”
Jackie Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an
American baseball player who became the first African-American to play in Major
League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era.[1] Robinson broke the baseball color
line when theBrooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. As the first
major league team to play a black man since the 1880s, the Dodgers ended racial
segregation that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades.[2] The
example of Robinson's character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional
basis of segregation, which then marked many other aspects of American life, and
contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.
NFL Player Bill Willis
Many people know that Jackie Robinson was the four-sport varsity star from UCLA who
was also the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. His monumental
accomplishment stands as one of the greatest achievements in U.S. history. Robinson
was an iconic figure for all of us.
Before Jackie Robinson played in the MLB, Bill Willis, played for the Cleveland Browns
from 1946 to 1953. He was an extraordinary football player. He possessed outstanding
agility and quickness. He played "middle guard." Because of Bill Willis’ versatility, he
had a unique playing style, sometimes lining up at the line of scrimmage, while at other
times, dropping back. In fact, it was Willis who helped create the model for the modern
day linebacker. Willis was an All-Pro selection in every season he played in the NFL. He
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
Like the other men who broke the color barrier, Willis endured a lot of taunts and
threats. But his contributions were momentous. The next time you watch great
linebackers, remember Bill Willis. Thank you, Bill Willis for your contribution to
American history and the NFL.
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Oprah Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show
host, actress, producer, and philanthropist.[1] Winfrey is best known for her multiaward-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated
program of its kind in history and was viewed throughout the U.S. between 1986 to
2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", Oprah Winfrey has been ranked the richest
African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American
history, and is currently North America's only black billionaire. She is also, according to
some assessments, the most influential woman in the world. In 2013, she was awarded
the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama[12] and an honorary
doctorate degree from Harvard.
The song, Summertime, (played over the announcements 2/18 performed by Donna
Singer and the Doug Richards Trio) is a well renowned jazz song from Porgy and Bess,
the George Gershwin folk opera that first debuted in the 1930s.
The person we highlight today in honor of Black History month is Audra Mc Donald.
Three years ago, in 2011, Audra McDonald appeared in a revised version of Porgy and
Bess, at the Loeb Drama Center (in Cambridge, Massachusetts) and recreated the role
on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre during its run in 2012. For this role,
McDonald won her fifth Tony Award and her first in a Leading Actress category.
Audra McDonald has also been honored with other awards. She became a three-time
Tony Award winner by the age of 28. She was nominated for another Tony Award for
her performance in Marie Christine before she won her fourth Tony Award in 2004 for
her role in A Raisin in the Sun. Audra McDonald reprised the role she played in A
Raisin in the Sun for a 2008 television adaptation, earning her a second Emmy
Award nomination.
This month, it was reported that Audra McDonald will star as Jessie alongside Oprah
Winfrey in a Broadway revival of 'Night Mother which may play on Broadway during the
2015-2016 season.
Thank you Audra Mc Donald for sharing your talent with the world through drama.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an
American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, he also had many acting roles on
stage and screen, was noted for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities and
in one show played every instrument in the band. At the age of three Davis began his
career in vaudeville with his father and Will Mastin as the Will Mastin Trio, which
toured nationally. After military service Davis returned to the trio. Davis became an
overnight sensation following a nightclub performance at Ciro's after the 1951
Academy Awards.
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He sang today’s opening song, Bye Bye Blackbird and appeared in the film adaptation
of Porgy and Bess.
Sammy Davis Jr. was the victim of racism throughout his life and was a large
financial supporter of the Civil Rights movement. He also used his talent in music and
comedy to break the barriers of racism.
Davis was awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP and was nominated for
a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award for his television performances. He was the
recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 1987, and in 2001, he was posthumously
awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you Sammy Davis Jr for
your contributions to US history.
Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) was a South African activist and former president.
He helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A
member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader
of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive
regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly
three decades and made him the face of the anti-apartheid movement both within his
country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of
apartheid and in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa, forming a
multiethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. After retiring from politics
in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation
and around the world until his death last year at the age of 95. Thank you Nelson
Mandela, for your contributions to the world.
African American Scientists
Benjamin
Banneker
(1731-1806)
Rebecca Cole
(1846-1922)
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.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Cole was the second black woman to graduate from
medical school (1867). She joined Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first white woman
physician, in New York and taught hygiene and childcare to families in poor
neighborhoods.
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Edward
Alexander
Bouchet
(1852-1918)
Dr. Daniel
Hale Williams
(1856-1931)
George
Washington
Carver
(1865?-1943)
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Bouchet was the first African American to graduate
(1874) from Yale College. In 1876, upon receiving his Ph.D. in physics from Yale, he
became the first African American to earn a doctorate. Bouchet spent his career teaching
college chemistry and physics.
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.
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.
Charles Henry
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner received a B.S. (1891) and M.S. (1892) from the
Turner
University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. (1907) from the University of Chicago. A noted
(1867-1923)
authority on the behavior of insects, he was the first researcher to prove that insects can
hear.
Ernest Everett
Just
(1883-1941)
Archibald
Alexander
(1888-1958)
Roger Arliner
Young
(1889-1964)
Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Just attended Dartmouth College and the
University of Chicago, where he earned a Ph.D. in zoology in 1916. Just's work on cell
biology took him to marine laboratories in the U.S. and Europe and led him to publish
more than 50 papers.
Iowa-born Alexander attended Iowa State University and earned a civil engineering
degree in 1912. While working for an engineering firm, he designed the Tidal Basin
Bridge in Washington, D.C. Later he formed his own company, designing Whitehurst
Freeway in Washington, D.C. and an airfield in Tuskegee, Alabama, among other
projects.
Ms. Young was born in Virginia and attended Howard University, University of Chicago,
and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a Ph.D. in zoology in 1940. Working
with her mentor, Ernest E. Just, she published a number of important studies.
Percy L. Julian
Alabama-born Julian held a bachelor's degree from DePauw University, a master's
(1899-1975)
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)
Emmett
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.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Chappelle earned a B.S. from the University of California and
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Chappelle
(1925-)
James West
(b. 1931)
Philip
Emeagwali
(b. 1954)
Aprille
Ericsson
(b. 1963)
an M.S. from the University of Washington. He joined NASA in 1977 as a remote sensing
scientist. Among Chappelle's discoveries is a method (developed with Grace Picciolo) of
instantly detecting bacteria in water, which led to the improved diagnoses of urinary tract
infections.
James West was born in 1931 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and studied physics at
Temple University. Specializing in microphones, West went on to author 200 patents and
more than 60 technical and scientific publications. In 1962, with Gerhard Sessler, West
developed the foil electret microphone, which became the industry standard.
Approximately 90% of microphones in use today are based on this invention and almost
all telephones utilize it, as well as tape recorders, camcorders, baby monitors and
hearing aids.
Born in Nigeria in 1954, Philip Emeagwali's determination to succeed grew out of a life of
poverty and little formal education. An expert in mathematics, physics, and astronomy,
Emeagwali won the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers' Gordon Bell Prize in
1989 for an experiment that used 65,000 processors to perform the world's fastest
computation of 3.1 billion calculations per second. Emeagwali's computers are currently
being used to forecast the weather and predict future global warming.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, N. Y., M.I.T graduate Aprille Ericsson was the first female
(and the first African-American female) to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering
from Howard University and the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in
engineering at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Ericsson has won many awards,
including the 1997 "Women in Science and Engineering" award for the best female
engineer in the federal government, and she is currently the instrument manager for a
proposed mission to bring dust from the Martian lower atmosphere back to Earth.
African American Inventors
Thomas L.
Jennings
(1791-1859)
Norbert
Rillieux
(1806-1894)
Benjamin
Bradley
(1830?-?)
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.
Born the son of a French planter and a slave in New Orleans, Rillieux was educated in
France. Returning to the U.S., he developed an evaporator for refining sugar, which he
patented in 1846. Rillieux's evaporation technique is still used in the sugar industry and in
the manufacture of soap and other products.
Benjamin Bradley was enslaved but employed at a printing office and later at the
Annapolis Naval Academy, where he helped set up scientific experiments. In the 1840s
he developed a steam engine for a war ship. Unable to patent his work, he sold it and
with the proceeds purchased his freedom.
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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
Born in Chelsea, Mass., Latimer learned mechanical drawing while working for a Boston
Latimer
patent attorney. He later invented an electric lamp and a carbon filament for light bulbs
(1848-1929)
(patented 1881, 1882). Latimer was the only African-American member of Thomas
Edison's engineering laboratory.
Granville T.
Woods
(1856-1910)
Madame C.J.
Walker
(1867-1919)
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.
Widowed at 20, Louisiana-born Sarah Breedlove Walker supported herself and her
daughter as a washerwoman. In the early 1900s she developed a hair care system and
other beauty products. Her business, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, amassed a
fortune, and she became a generous patron of many black charities.
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
Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Crosthwait earned a B.S. (1913) and M.S. (1920) from
Crosthwait, Jr.
Purdue University. An expert on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, he designed the
(1898-1976)
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-)
Mark Dean
(1957-)
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.
Dean was born in Jefferson City, Tennessee, and holds a bachelor's degree from the
University of Tennessee, a master's degree from Florida Atlantic University, and a Ph.D.
from Stanford University. He led the team of IBM scientists that developed the ISA bus—a
device that enabled computer components to communicate with each other rapidly, which
made personal computers fast and efficient for the first time. Dean also led the design
team responsible for creating the first one-gigahertz computer processor chip. He was
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inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997.
Robby Novak a.k.a. Kid President
Robby Novak (born October 24, 2003), better known by the nickname Kid
President, is a TED speaker ("Inspirer"), and a YouTube sensation, interviewing US
President Barack Obama, Beyoncé, Andrew WK, Pen Ward, Rainn Wilson, Ban KiMoon, and others. He obtained an interview with Josh Groban after an ambitious
Twitter campaign, where he had his followers petition Josh. He and his brother-in-law,
Brad Montague, have created a series of viral inspirational videos, on a mission to
"Make the world less boring," including one which by the end of January 2013 had over
4 million views on YouTube. He makes videos weekly, in collaboration with Soul
Pancake. He has several catchphrases and recurring jokes, including screaming, "Not
cool, Robert Frost!" (when referring to his poemThe Road Not Taken), and asking
"What will be your Space Jam?". Kid President calls himself "the voice of a
generation." On February 21, 2013, Kid President posted a video in which President
Obama called Kid President to promote the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll.
Kid President, originally a rather modest creation of Freed-Hardeman University Office
of Marketing and University Relations to promote the school’s annual benefit dinner,
has exploded into something much larger. A series of episodes urging viewers “to make
the world awesome”, “be a party” and "to give the world a reason to dance" have gone
viral on YouTube.
Kid President's first viral video, “A Pep Talk,” has been viewed over thirty million times.
It is dedicated to Gabbi Cook, two-year old daughter of Matt and Charla Cook (both
FHU alumni) who recently had a liver transplant.
Kid President began as a method to promote Freed-Hardeman’s annual benefit dinner
with Condoleezza Rice. Robby had helped to promote the previous benefit dinner
featuring Bob Newhart. He reprised his role as promoter, this time as Kid President.
Since that beginning, he has further developed, defined and promoted the character.
On February 21, 2013, Kid President was featured in an official White House video to
promote the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll. He appears in a simulated telephone
conversation with President Barack Obama.
On March 20, 2013, ESPN released a video called "Kid President NCAA Tournament
Bracket 2013," where he makes choices for the outcomes of the games of the 2013 NCAA
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Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. In the video, he references President Obama's
"Barack-etology," Mr. Obama's own choices for the outcome of the tournament. Kid
President chooses Gonzaga (his favorite team) to beat Michigan in the championship
game.
On April 1, 2013, the White House released "a special video message from the
President" featuring Kid President as an April Fool's joke.
Kid President is portrayed by Robby Novak. Novak and his sister Alexia were born
with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). Novak is the son of David, member
of the FHU staff, and Laurie Novak.
“We’re overwhelmed and honored that so many have connected with Kid President. We
hope it encourages others to take positive action in their lives,” Brad Montague, who
directs FHU’s Go! Camp and created "Kid President", said. Go! Camp is a serviceoriented week-long effort held each summer at FHU. “It is about empowering kids,
helping them to have a voice. That’s what we hope these videos do too.”
Read more: African American Scientists & Inventors |
Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhmscientists1.html#ixzz2tDhegqWf
*This document was created from the following websites: wikipedia.org, beliefnet.com,
and infoplease.com.