by Clyde Johnson

Well it is February again, a month in which African-Americans are commemorated for their historical contribution to society. While this is all well and good, some would argue that contributions of blacks should come as a natural integral part of history instead of setting aside one month per year in recognition of the achievements and contribution of African-Americans. Frankly, I am not sure that the former is not being done. I think it is fair to say that many blacks are singled out and paid tribute during this month, and this is good. It is easy to remember names like Michael Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, and the list goes on and on. However, we need to understand that there are many unnoticed African-Americans that have made enormous contributions that have enhanced the way we do things in this country, and the world at large. These are the unsung geniuses. They go about their work making scientific inventions and advancements that have a tremendous impact on our livelihood. And sometimes, as in earlier years, they are not given credit for their inventions. The patents were recorded under the name of someone else.

Lewis Latimer was the son of slaves who fled from Virginia (Norfolk) to Massachusetts. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on Sept. 4, 1848. He learned the art of mechanical drawing while working in a patent firm. Over the course of his career as a draftsman, Latimer worked closely with Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. In addition to this, he designed his own inventions. Latimer discovered a filament made from carbon, which led to artificial lighting. The filament allowed the light bulb to burn much longer than previous filaments tried. This made the bulb suitable for long term use by the public and the household. He was not given the patent for it.

Earl Shaw is an American physicist. He was born in Clarksdale, Missouri, in 1937. Shaw made important contributions to laser technology. He helped develop the free electron laser, infrared laser and tunable laser. Shaw has applied his study of tunable laser to research into the physical properties of DNA and other biologically important molecules.

Robert Parris Moses was born Jan. 23, 1935 in Harlem, New York. He is usually known as Bob Moses. He is an American educator, and Civil Rights activist, known for his work as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee on voter education registration in Mississippi during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. This was during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King. He is a graduate of Hamilton College and completed a master’s in philosophy at Harvard University. He has developed the nationwide algebra project in the United States, which emphasizes teaching algebra skills to minority students based on broad based community organizing and collaboration with parents, teachers and students. His program makes algebra more relative to the underprivileged students, thus making it easier to comprehend.

In this article I have touched upon only three persons that may be considered unsung black geniuses. There are many more like Elijah McCoy, Ernest Everett Just, Granville T. Wood, Charles McAfee, Cheryl McAfee, and the list goes on and on. I think we will do well to focus on some of the less visible African-American contributors to society, as they are now becoming better integrated into American History. By no mean should we demean those in the forefront, we can’t, but in addition to those we also stand on the shoulders of other major players who have contributed, and are still contributing to the standard of living we enjoy today. We must not forget.

CLYDE JOHNSON is a retired health physicist from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. He resides in Franklin and can be reached at 562-4402.