Essay Contestants February 2020 Submitted by the following young scholars: Charlyse Campbell Jonathan Winstead II Jairus Cook Brelyn McDonald
Charlyse Campbell 3rd Grade 2/17/2020
Black Brilliance in STEM Essay Contest: Madame CJ Walker
Madame CJ Walker was a person who lost hair after suffering from a scalp ailment. She made her own African American hair products for people who could not do their own hair. According to Biography.com, “she promoted her products by traveling around the country giving lecturedemonstrations and eventually established Madame C.J. Walker Laboratories to manufacture cosmetics and train sales beauticians” (Retrieved 2/13/20 from Biography.com). Madame CJ Walker was born as Sarah Breedlove in 1867 in Louisiana to parents who were recently freed slaves, and Sarah, was the first in her family to be free-born. She was an orphan because her parents died at the age of seven. She had to live with her sister and her brother in law. When Sarah was fourteen, she got married to Moses McWilliams. At the age of seventeen she had a daughter whose name was A‘lelia. According to Biography.com Madam CJ Walker's husband Moses died so Madam CJ Walker married a second husband named Charles J. Walker. Then she started her own business to sell her hair products and she became a millionaire by selling her hand-made hair products. According to Biography.com, “her business acumen led her to be one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire. She was also known
for her philanthropic endeavors, including a donation toward the construction of an Indianapolis YMCA in 1913.” I think Madame CJ Walker is an entrepreneur, a scientist, and a researcher, because her hand made hair products by researching how to do it, and she created her own business to sell it. She had to use the right chemistry to make hair products people love. She was the first African American millionaire and she inspires everyone who wants to create their own products. She inspires me because she made hair products that we never had, and earned money doing it. Another thing that inspires me about Madame CJ Walker is that she was an independent person who started a business on her own with maybe some support from employees, but mostly she did it alone. She inspires me to try to use chemistry and create my own products that may earn money some day and whenever I earn that money, I will make products for people and hopefully, I can be an inspiration to young girls like me.
Reference Cited: https://www.biography.com/inventor/madam-cj-walker “28 Days Moments In Black History That Changed The World” - by Charles Smith, Jr.
Jonathan Winstead ll 7th Grade 2/16/2020 African American Inventors and Scientists
OTIS BOYKIN
Today I would like to introduce Otis Boykin who was a very interesting and smart African-American inventor. Otis Boykin was born in Dallas, Texas on August 29, 1920. His parents' names were Sarah and Walter Boykin. Sadly his mom died before his first birthday and his dad raised him and his siblings. He graduated high school from Booker T. Washington High School. He attended and graduated from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1941. He went to work at Majestic Radio and TV Corporation after graduating from Fisk. He also attended Illinois Institute of Technology for his graduate studies but ran out of money and he had to leave school early in 1947 after only two years. After leaving school, he left to start his own company. Otis Boykin became interested in resistors and he began to invent his own resistors. A resistor is an electrical device that is used to control the flow of electricity. Otis Boykin earned his first patent on June 16, 1959 when he was 39 years old. Probably his most notable and famous invention that he patented was the Pacemaker. A pacemaker is a device that keeps your
heart rate at a normal pace so that an irregular heart rate does not harm you. Another invention that he also patented was the Wire Precision Resistor. This device allowed manufacturers “to accurately designate a value of resistance for an individual piece of wire in electronic equipment�.
Otis Boykin created many inventions that improved life of everyday Americans ranging from a burglar-proof register to a chemical-air filter. Otis Boykin also invented many other electronics, such as the Transistor Radio, Guided Missiles, Televisions, and the IBM Computer. In 1965, he invented an electric capacitor and in 1967 he also invented an electrical resistance capacitor. At the time of his death, Otis Boykin had patented 26 electronic devices. Sadly on March 13, 1982, Otis Boykin died in Chicago, Illinois due to heart failure. I am inspired by Otis Boykin because he did not have a lot of money but he used his creativity to move the world forward and he invented many products to help the world. He had to endure struggles in life, for example the death of his mom before he was even one year old, but he did not let that stop him from making contributions that helped others. Lastly I also admire the fact that he did what he enjoyed even in a time of racial segregation in America. He was a shining example that you can do anything that want to do if you put your mind to do it. I believe that as more people learn about Otis Boykin, it would inspire them to also find ways to make the world a better place and to realize that nothing is impossible if they put their minds to it.
SOURCES: https://www.biography.com/inventor/otis-boykin https://www.blackfacts.com/fact/otis-boykin https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/boykin-otis-frank-1920-1982/
Jairus Cook 10th Grade February 18, 2020
Black Brilliance in STEM - Benjamin Banneker Benjamin Banneker was a true Renaissance man of STEM. His knowledge extended over numerous fields of study. Banneker taught himself the majority of his immense knowledge. He is such an inspiring figure because he was able to study several fields of STEM. He shows me that I can pursue any engineering career that I choose to as long as I am motivated to do the work necessary to succeed. I also see that I can use the skills I will learn in engineering to advance me into another field, such as creating an invention and forming a business to sell it. The famous invention Banneker is known for is creating the first functioning clock in America in 1752. After examining his friend's pocket watch, he was captivated by it and wanted to build a larger version of it. He completed this challenge in only two years, and his clock operated smoothly for over fifty years. This invention led him to start his clock and watch repair business. He is also widely known for creating the entire landscape - the streets, buildings, and monuments - of Washington D.C. When his partner, Frenchman Major Pierre L’Enfant, suddenly left due to hostility from being a foreigner, he recreated the exact layout in only two days. He may be famous for his earlier accomplishments, but he achieved even more in his later life. In the late 1780s, Banneker taught himself astronomy and advanced mathematics. He correctly predicted a solar eclipse in 1789. His self-taught astronomy aided him in creating his first almanac in 1792. It contained a diverse set of information, including weather predictions, seasonal changes, medical information, remedies, and advice on planting crops.
He used his almanac not only to help the citizens in his local community but also to benefit African American slaves. He sent a copy of his almanac with a letter to Thomas Jefferson arguing that African Americans deserve the same treatment as white Americans. His works displayed a representation of what African Americans were capable of. An exchange of letters ensued between the two, with Banneker respectfully challenging Jefferson to make change for African Americans. He continuously discussed with Jefferson that they were more than slaves and were equal beings to Americans. Banneker’s work paved the way for the freedom of slaves in the century to come and demonstrated the equal capacity they had to all Americans. His letters of activism were supported by his own work and dedication in two diverse fields of STEM - engineering and astronomy. His special talent for STEM was used not only to improve the lives of African Americans generations ago; it still has an impact on today. Modern adaptations of the clock can be seen today, and the layout of Washington still stands to this today. This research on Benjamin Banneker has opened my eyes to the reality of making a lasting impact in my community through engineering, and the ability to use my impact in different ways.
Works Cited “Benjamin Banneker.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 21 Jan. 2020, www.biography.com/scientist/benjamin-banneker. Fourtané, Susan. “Black Inventors - The Complete List of Genius Black American (African American) Inventors, Scientists and Engineers with Their Revolutionary Inventions That Changed the World and Impacted the History - Part Two.” Interesting Engineering, Interesting Engineering, 18 Oct. 2018, interestingengineering.com/black-inventors-thecomplete-list-of-genius-black-american-african-american-inventors-scientists-andengineers-with-their-revolutionary-inventions-that-changed-the-world-and-impactedhistory-part-two. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Benjamin Banneker.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Jan. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/BenjaminBanneker.
Researched and Written by: Brelyn McDonald NSBE JR Black Brilliance in STEM Essay Contest 10 February 2020
Our Nation’s Doctor: A True Inspiration Dr. Jerome M. Adams, the 20th Surgeon General of the United States, has influenced my aspirations for my future career in the health science field. Dr. Adams gained the position of Surgeon General, nicknamed “Nation’s Doctor”, through hard work and perseverance. Dr. Adams was appointed as Surgeon General because of his work on AID’s outbreak and prevention in the U.S. while he was Indiana’s Health Commissioner. Additionally, Dr. Adams led Indiana in helping to prevent many other national health crises’ such as infant mortality and the MERs virus. Dr. Adams oversees the operations of the US Public Health Service which has approximately 6,500 uniformed health officers who serve in nearly 600 locations around the world (TEDMED). Originally serving as Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, Dr. Adams has been exposed to one of many highly conservative states in the U.S. He has said himself that, “I came from a state that was very red, very conservative, and I had to speak a very specific language so that it resonated with the folks in Indiana” (Joseph, Andrew, et al). Dr. Adams also serves his duty as Surgeon General under the Trump Administration. President Donald Trump and his cabinet are extremely conservative. Their various policies are considered by some to oppress people of color and people born outside of the United States. However, Dr. Adams is one of a handful of the
racially diverse people in our President’s administration, making him a true breakthrough leader in his field. Dr. Adams not only struggled to make his way through conservative America, but also struggled with family life as well. Although his job is to make sure America is at its healthiest, his own brother struggles with opioid addiction. Dr. Adams spoke on this personal and heartbreaking topic saying, “One of the most frustrating things is being surgeon general of the United States and feeling like you can’t help your own brother” (Joseph, Andrew, et al). Amongst all of the chaos of his home life, he continues to set an example for millions across the country as our competent Surgeon General and is tackling our nation’s opioid epidemic as we speak. What inspires me most about Dr. Adams is that he, of many candidates, was chosen by Mike Pence to be Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, while it is known that Pence is a very conservative politician. Dr. Adams has accolades that shine past his skin color and has shown his true worth to our country. My dream was always consistent in that I wanted to be a surgeon. Knowing that Dr. Adams was put in place as the highest held honor for doctors in the U.S. gives me inspiration to continue studying a pre-med curriculum. The sky is the limit for your future, and Dr. Adams truly sets an example for those interested in the health science field like me.
Works Cited “The 20th U.S. Surgeon General's Perspectives on the Nation's Biggest Health Issues.” TEDMED, www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=731056. Joseph, Andrew, et al. “Jerome Adams Reflects on His First Year as U.S. Surgeon General.” STAT, 20 Sept. 2018, www.statnews.com/2018/09/20/surgeon-general-jerome-adams-year-one/. Joseph, Andrew, et al. “The Surgeon General and His Brother: A Family's Reckoning with Addiction.” STAT, 16 Oct. 2019, www.statnews.com/2017/12/07/surgeon-general-and-hisbrother/. McDaniels, Andrea K. “New Surgeon General's Science Background Was Nurtured in Maryland.” Baltimoresun.com, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2019, www.baltimoresun.com/health/bshs-surgeon-general-maryland-connection-20170907-story.html. Public Affairs. “VADM Jerome M. Adams, M.D., M.P.H.” HHS.gov, 23 May 2019, www.hhs.gov/about/leadership/jerome-adams/index.html.
Greetings on behalf of RTP NSBE. We were delighted to have students desire to explore and research Black Brilliance in STEM. Students attended a research session on Feb 1, 2020 at Wake County Library. It took place prior to a STEM Career Fair. They came early and spent several hours reviewing books and conducting online research on black inventors and scientists. It was optional to participate in the essay contest. The requirements were as follows:
Black Brilliance in STEM Essay Contest 1) Identify a Black Scientist, Inventor, Researcher or Engineer who inspires you to pursue a career in STEM. 2) Write a 250 to 500-word essay explaining the major contributions of this contributor, why he/she inspires you and what he/she did to pave the way for others. How will this research help you in pursing your dreams? Include the name of 2-3 primary sources. 3) Register for the essay contest by selecting an Essay Writing Ticket. Email your typed essay and ticket number to president@nsbertp.org by Feb 14, 2020. 4) Essays will be judged on accuracy of facts and most compelling responses. 4) Rewards and recognition will be shared at the RTP NSBE Feb 21 Living Legacy Banquet.
At the Living Legends Banquet on Feb 21, each student spoke briefly about their essay and the contributor they chose to research. The essay contestant judges decided that all the submissions were excellent for their grade levels. They realized it would not be a fair assessment with this amount of deviation in the contestants. A decision was made to take the approach of an essay exposition versus a competition. I thank the students for sharing their research with us and parents for their encouragement. We celebrate the contributions of our young scholars and our future STEM professionals. Best wishes to each of them and to their promising future.
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Sincerely in service, Dr. Toni Arnold-McFarland, RTP NSBE Chapter President 2019-2020