African American history is a broad, massive, and intricate subject, with world-shaking events that have, in some instances, dramatically shaped American history. However, much of it has been reduced to a handful of people, memorable moments, and events.
Undoubtedly, most people remember courageous stories like the Underground Railroad, the famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Nat Turner’s rebellion, or the plight of the Tuskegee Airmen. But do you know about Sojourner Truth, the first woman to ever sue and win a case against a white man? Or Benjamin Bradley, who built a working steam engine from two pieces of scrap metal and a barrel?
What about Cathay Williams, the first African-American woman to enlist in the military, when women weren’t allowed? Or Robert Carruthers, who invented the ultraviolet camera NASA used when it launched Apollo 16 in 1972? The black experience is simply too important to be reduced to only a few significant events to know and remember.

