This Week in History, May 1-7:
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.

May 1
On this day in 1924, African-American mathematician, teacher, and scientist Evelyn Boyd Granville was born. One of two Black women to receive the first doctorate degrees in mathematics, she was also awarded an honorary doctorate for her contributions to mathematics and the space program, making her the first Black woman mathematician to receive such an honor from an American institution.

May 2
On this day in 1843, African-American inventor Elijah McCoy was born into slavery, but escaped with the assistance of the Underground Railroad. Eventually acquiring 58 patents for his various inventions, he inspired the famous saying, "the Real McCoy." Also on this day in 1762, African-American physician James Durham was born. The first regularly recognized Black physician in the United States, he saved the lives of more yellow fever victims than most doctors in colonial Philadelphia.

May 3
On this date in 1898, African-American educator and activist Septima P. Clark was born. An activist who was dedicated to improving the education available to Blacks in South Carolina, she was active in the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and won the American Book Award for her second biography.

May 4
On this day in 1860, African-American surgeon Thomas William Burton was born. He and a colleague formed a state medical society for Black physicians, the Ohio Mutual Medical Association.

May 5
On this day in 1865, clergyman and author Adam Clayton Powell, Sr., was born. A captivating preacher who managed to substantially increase the congregation of New York City's Abyssinian Baptist Church, he was actively involved in the struggle against racism, and he lectured on race relations at several major universities. A co-founder of the National Urban League, he was an early leader in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and was one of the organizers of the Silent Protest Parade of 1928.

May 6
On this date in history, we honor African-American chemists and scientists. From their beginnings with African doctors who discovered effective herbal remedies for several diseases, African-Americans have earned mainstream respect for their work in the laboratories of modern science. Find out more here.

May 7
On this day in 1845, Mary Mahoney was born. The first Black nurse in the United States, she treated her patients like family, often cooking for them; involved in the women’s suffrage movement, she was one of the first women in Boston to vote.