Life Without Black People

As we celebrate our heritage this month, I find it embarrassing how little we, as African Americans, know about our contribution to society.

Black history includes so much more than just slavery, Frederick Douglass, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, William Edward Burghardt Dubois, George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington.

Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that this would be a much better America without Black people. I would contend that America without Black people would be a miserable place.

If you don’t mind, I would like to share with you how life would be in an America without us.

America would be a barren land because there would be very few crops that would flourish because the nation was built on a slave-supported system.

Cities would not have tall skyscrapers because Alexander Miles, a Black man, invented the elevator, and without it, we would have difficulty reaching higher floors.

There would be few, if any cars because Richard Spikes, a Black man, invented the automatic gearshift, Joseph Gambol, also Black, invented the Super Charge System for internal combustion engines, and Garrett A. Morgan, a Black man, invented the traffic signals. Furthermore, one could not use the rapid transit system because its precursor was the electric trolley, which was invented by another Black man, Albert R. Robinson.

Even if there were streets on which cars and a rapid transit system could operate; they would be cluttered with paper because an African American Charles Brooks, invented the street sweeper.

There would be no newspapers, magazines or books because John Love invented the pencil sharpener, William Purveys invented the fountain pen, Lee Barrage the typewriter and W.A. Love invented the Advanced Printing Press. They were all Black men.

Even if Americans could write their letters, articles and books, they would not be transported by mail because William Barry invented the Postmarking and Canceling Machine, William Purveys invented the Hand Stamp, and Phillip Downing invented the mailbox.

Lawns would be brown and wilted because Joseph Smith invented the lawn sprinkler and John Burr the lawn mower.

When you enter your homes, you would find them to be poorly ventilated and poorly heated. You see, Frederick Jones invented the air conditioner and Alice Parker the heating furnace.

Their homes were also dim. But of course, Lewis Latimer invented the electric lamp, Michael Harvey invented the lantern and Granville T. Woods invented the automatic cutoff switch.

Homes would be filthy, because Thomas W. Steward invented the mop and Lloyd P. Ray the dustpan.

Children would walk around barefoot, shabby, motley and unkempt. But what could one expect? Jan E. Matzelinger invented the shoe lasting machine, Walter Sammons invented the comb, Sarah Boone invented the ironing board, and George T. Samon invented the clothes dryer.

Finally, they would be resigned to at least have dinner amidst all of this turmoil. But here again, the food would spoil because another Black man, John Standard invented the refrigerator.

I would ask, in the future, when your children are asked to do a report on a famous Black American instead of the "usual’s," why not challenge them to report on one of the above and make their teacher work for a change.

Life without Black folks? I don't think so.