SACRAMENTO EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING AGENCY

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE

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People across the nation come together for events and activities in the month of

February to celebrate Black History Month. It’s a time for us to continue our collective

journey of honoring and deepening our knowledge of the history and contributions of

African Americans and people of African descent that have been marginalized from

mainstream curricula and discussions because

of our country’s legacy of slavery, and institutional and structural racism. When

thinking about Black History Month, it is important to keep in mind that it is also

America's History. Black History Month brings a narrative of inclusion, the message

that Black culture has an impact on society and does not stand in a silo. It permeates to

everyone. The SETA Diversity & Inclusion Committee invites you to explore the

readings, events and activities within this newsletter and other material that will be sent

through-out the month that highlight the history, diversity, and achievements of the

Black community nationwide. This year, events will be held

virtually to keep us all safe during COVID-19.

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Father of Black HistoryCarter G. Woodson

Want to know more?

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Who Was Carter G. Woodson?Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia, to Anna Eliza Riddle

Woodson and James Woodson. The fourth of seven children, young Woodson worked as a sharecropper

and a miner to help his family. He began high school in his late teens and proved to be an excellent

student, completing a four-year course of study in less than two years.

EducationCarter G. Woodson was the second African American to receive a doctorate from Harvard, after W.E.B.

Du Bois.

Creating Black History Month Woodson believed that his role was to use black history and culture as a weapon in the struggle for racial

uplift. In an effort to fill historical gaps and provide a rich and deep depiction of the contributions of

African Americans in the United States, Carter G. Woodson dedicated his career to the field of African

American history. Woodson organized and founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and

History (ASNLH). Woodson lobbied schools and organizations to participate in a special program to

encourage the study of African American history, which began in February 1926 with Negro History

Week. This week was chosen to honor the birth months of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President

Abraham Lincoln. The program was later expanded and renamed Black History Month. In 1976,

President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month. He stated, "we need to seize the

opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of

endeavor throughout our history.”

PublicationsWoodson wrote more than a dozen books over the course of his career, most notably Mis-Education of

the Negro (1933). With its focus on the Western indoctrination system and African American self-

empowerment, Mis-Education has become required reading at numerous colleges and universities.

Additional books from the author include A Century of Negro Migration (1918), The History of the Negro

Church (1921), and The Negro in Our History (1922). Woodson also penned literature for elementary and

secondary school students.

Death and LegacyWoodson died on April 3, 1950, a respected and honored figure who received accolades for his vision. His

legacy continues on, with Black History Month being a national cultural force recognized by a variety of

media formats, organizations and educational institutions. Woodson's accomplishments are also

remembered through the University of Virginia's Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and

African Studies, and the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZjRfpWE91s

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Improved Ironing Board, Invented

by Sarah Boone in 1892

The ironing board is a product that’s

possibly used just as much as it’s

overlooked. In the late 19th century, it

was improved upon by Sarah Boone, an

African American woman who was born

enslaved. One of the first Black women in

U.S. history to receive a patent, she

expanded upon the original ironing

board, which was essentially a

horizontal wooden block initially

patented in 1858. With Boone’s 1892

additions, the board featured a narrower

and curved design, making it easier to

iron garments, particularly women’s

clothing. Boone’s design would morph

into the modern ironing board that we

use today.

Refrigerated Trucks, Invented by

Frederick McKinley Jones in 1940

If your refrigerator has any produce

from your local grocery store, then you

can credit African American inventor

Frederick McKinley Jones. Jones took out

more than 60 patents throughout his life,

including a patent for the roof-mounted

cooling system that’s used to refrigerate

goods on trucks during extended

transportation in the mid-1930s. He

received a patent for his invention in

1940, and co-founded the U.S. Thermo

Control Company, later known as

Thermo King. The company was critical

during World War II, helping to preserve

blood, food and supplies during the war.

Did You Know?

Did you know, there are countless , often overlooked inventions that make

our daily lives easier. Among the creative innovators behind these devices

are African American inventors. Take a look at a few products that have

sprung from the minds of Black inventors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38sxYtHRGGw

We hope you will join one or all of the free virtual learning opportunities that are

food for our minds, bodies, and souls. RSVP details for each event and activity are

listed below.

HTTPS://BLACKHEALTH.QUEENSLIBRARY.ORG/

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/132523887515 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hair-love-building-a-legacy-through-representation-with-matthew-a-cherry-registration-135911174983?aff=ebdssbeac

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-month-dinner-series-vegetarian-jambalaya-and-cornbread-tickets-128782224099?aff=ebdssbeacdd

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sur-la-bay-black-history-month-music-festival-tickets-137276715351?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marianos-celebrates-black-history-month-with-chef-lamar-moore-tickets-135368511863?aff=ebdssbeditorialcollection

https://www.ywcaworks.org/events/2021-02-10/black-history-month-trivia-night

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rhythm-in-black-yesterday-today-tomorrow-a-black-history-month-event-tickets-136526312877

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/black-history-month-cheryl-thompson-author-visit-registration-125669630247

https://www.funtimesmagazine.com/events/198303/funtimes-magazine-presents-generations-of-history

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