This Week in History, August 29 - September 4: Contributions of African-Americans

Note: Here, learn about some of the African-Americans who have influenced history and contributed to the culture we now enjoy. To learn more about each individual, click on that person's name. Information for "This Week in History" is taken from the African American Registry. August 29 On this day in 1910, African-American physician Vivien T. Thomas was born. The first Black research physician, his work was instrumental in linking shock to loss of fluid, and he was part of the team that developed the "blue baby" procedure that has saved the lives of countless newborns who suffer from circulatory problems. August 30 On this day in 1859, African-American poet, teacher, and activist Henrietta Cordelia Ray was born. She gained major notice as a writer in April 1876 at the unveiling of the Freedmen's Monument in Washington, D.C., where Frederick Douglass delivered the keynote address and William E. Matthews read Ray's ode, "Lincoln." August 31 On this day in 1907, African-American Congressman Augustus Freeman Hawkins was born. The first Black member of Congress from a western state, he sponsored legislation designed to create jobs and insure civil rights. One of his most notable accomplishments in the House was the establishment of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. September 1 On this day we celebrate the traditions surrounding African-American funerals and burials. Read about some of the heartfelt customs and traditions that people have carried from place to place as essential parts of their cultural property. September 2 On this day in 1921, African-American engineer Ozzie Williams was born. THe second African-American to receive a degree in aeronautical engineering, he managed the Apollo Lunar Module reaction control subsystem and managed the three engineering groups that developed the small rocket motors that guided the lunar module, the part of the Apollo spacecraft that actually landed on the moon. September 3 On this day in 1895, Charles H. Houston was born. Considered one of the most important lawyers of the twentieth century, he was the first Black editor of the Harvard Law Review and was a preeminent anti-discrimination lawyer whose efforts laid the legal groundwork for the Brown v. Board Of Education ruling. September 4 On this day in 1848, inventor and innovator Lewis H. Latimer was born. He co-patented an electric lamp and refined light-bulb technology in 1882. As an innovator in the electric light industry, Latimer became one of the 28 charter members of the Edison Pioneers, the only African-American in this prestigious, highly selective group.