Friday, October 31, 2014
Norbert Rillieux invented a Sugar Processing Evaporator
Norbert Rillieux was born in New Orleans. His father was a French engineer and a plantation farmer. His mother had been a slave. Rillieux's father sent Norbert to France where he studied engineering. After returning to New Orleans, Rillieux invented his improved sugar refining process and evaporator. Rillieux invented a sugar processing evaporator and an improved sugar refining process that safely saved time and money in the making of sugar from sugar beets or sugar cane.
Refining sugar had been a labor-intensive process, involving the handling of boiling hot liquids. The slaves on the plantations performed most of this labor. Rillieux's inventions increased sugar production and reduced production costs. However, the most important thing was that his inventions protected lives by ending the older dangerous methods of sugar production. Rillieux later returned to France where he continued working on his inventing and published papers on the uses of steam and the steam engine.
The Tree of Life. The boabab tree.
2,000 year old tree in South Africa called The Tree of Life. The boabab tree.
Some hollowed out trunks have been used to provide shelter to as many as 40 people..., it can hold up to 4,500 liters of water, fibers from the bark can be turned into rope and cloth and fresh leaves are often eaten to boost the immune system.
Some hollowed out trunks have been used to provide shelter to as many as 40 people..., it can hold up to 4,500 liters of water, fibers from the bark can be turned into rope and cloth and fresh leaves are often eaten to boost the immune system.
The medicinal properties of the boabab fruit are amaze balls: 3 times as much Vitamin C as an orange , 50% more Calcium than spinach, and it has a plentiful source of antioxidants which are disease fighting molecules credited with helping reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Beauty of the Motherland
Beauty of the Motherland
John Thompson invented lingo programming
John Thompson invented lingo programming used in Macromedia Director and Shockwave. John Thompson was the principal engineer for Macromedia Director, the inventor and developer of Lingo and XObjects, and a professor of new media at New York University - Tisch Interactive Telecommunications Program. Thompson studied art at the New York Student Art League and the Boston Museum School and earned a degree in Computer Science and Visual Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the 1983. He invented lingo programming used in Macromedia Director and Shockwave. According to John Thompson, "Lingo is a scripting language in the Macromedia Director authoring tool. The content created with Macromedia Director is delivered on the World Wide Web as shockwave movies." From 1987 until 2001, Thompson was the chief scientist at Macromedia where he developed a number of products, including: The VideoWorks Accelerator, VideoWorks II, MediaMaker, Action, and Macromedia Director. John Thompson currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife and four children and is working on custom software for his own realtime video artwork. 
John W. Thompson- Chairman of Microsoft Corporation
John Wendell Thompson is the CEO of privately held Virtual Instruments and the Chairman of Microsoft Corporation. He is a former vice-president at IBM and the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Symantec Corporation. During his tenure as CEO of Symantec, he was the only African American leading a major technology company. Thompson later became an independent director on the board of Microsoft and on February 4, 2014 he was named the Chairman of the board. He led the search for Microsoft's next CEO; as a result, Satya Nadella was selected. Born at Fort Dix, New Jersey, Thompson attended John F. Kennedy High School in Riviera Beach, Florida (now Suncoast Community High School). He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida A&M University in 1971 and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management in 1983. Thompson's 28-year career with IBM Corporation included senior executive positions in sales, marketing and software development, and as general manager of IBM Americas as well as membership in the company’s Worldwide Management Council. Thompson was a strong supporter of Barack Obama's campaign during the 2008 election cycle. In January 2009, news sources reported that President-elect Obama was considering Thompson to fill the Commerce secretary post in the Obama administration. Ultimately, Senator Judd Gregg was chosen for the post but withdrew his name on Thursday, February 12. Thompson again remained a potential candidate until the successful appointment of Gary Locke.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi appointed Thompson to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in 2009. In 2010, Thompson was recognized for his commitment to education in Silicon Valley at the Silicon Valley Education Foundation's 2010 Pioneers & Purpose event. He received the Pioneer Business Leader award, which is awarded to individuals who have achieved outstanding accomplishments in business and education. On 4 February 2014, Thompson was appointed as Chairman of Microsoft, succeeding Bill Gates. Prior to being named Chairman, Thompson had been a member of the Microsoft Board for two years. He stated that he joined the board because he had "admired Microsoft for many, many, many years." Thompson said he considered Microsoft to be "one of the true, iconic companies in our country."
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Proscovia Alengot Oromait-Youngest member of parliament in Uganda
Proscovia Alengot Oromait is a Ugandan university student and politician. She is the elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Usuk County, Katakwi District. At age 19, she was the youngest member of parliament in Uganda, and on the African continent. She was born in Katakwi District on 1 January 1993. Her father, Michael Oromait, served as the MP for the same parliamentary seat before his death on 21 July 2012. She completed her high school (S6) at St. Kalemba Senior Secondary School in Kayunga District in December 2011. She was admitted to Uganda Christian University in Mukono, beginning August 2012, where she currently studies for the degree of Bachelor of Mass Communications. After her father's death, Alengot Oromait decided to contest the National Resistance Movement primary elections to replace her father, who had served as an Independent. She won the primary and in the general elections in September 2012, she won with 54.2% of the vote. She is expected to juggle her undergraduate studies with her parliamentary duties for the next three years at the minimum. Unmarried, Alengot Oromait belongs to the National Resistance Movement, the ruling political party in Uganda. She deals with such issues as the environment, education, health policy and gender issues. One of her mentors is Jessica Alupo, the current Uganda Minister of Education and Member of Parliament (MP) for the Katakwi District Women's Representative.
Paul Revere Williams-Certified African-American Architect
Paul Revere Williams, FAIA was an American architect based in Los Angeles, California. He practiced largely in Southern California and designed the homes of numerous celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Lon Chaney, and Charles Correll. He also designed many public and private buildings. Orphaned at the age of 4, Williams was the only African American student in his elementary school. He studied at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design and at the Los Angeles branch of the New York Beaux-Arts Institute of Design Atelier, subsequently working as a landscape architect. He went on to attend the University of Southern California, School of Engineering, designing several residential buildings while still a student there. Williams became a certified architect in 1921, and the 1st certified African-American architect west of the Mississippi. Williams won an architectural competition at age 25 and three years later opened his own office. He perfected the skill of rendering drawings "upside down.", so that his white clients (who might have been uncomfortable sitting next to a black architect) could see the drawings rendered right side up across the table from him. Williams became the 1st African-American member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1923. In 1939, he won the AIA Award of Merit for his design of the MCA Building in Los Angeles (now headquarters of the Paradigm Talent Agency). Other Projects include-Palm Springs Tennis Club (1947) and the Town & Country (1948) and Romanoff's on the Rocks (1948) restaurants. In 1951, Williams won the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Man of the Year award and in 1953 he received the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP for his outstanding contributions as an architect and member of the African-American community. Williams also received honorary doctorates from Howard University (doctor of architecture), Lincoln University of Missouri (doctor of science), and the Tuskegee Institute (doctor of fine arts). In 1957, he became the first African-American to be voted an AIA Fellow. Williams designed more than 2,000 private homes, most of which were in the Hollywood Hills and the Mid-Wilshire portion of Los Angeles (including his own home in Lafayete Square, part of historic West Adams, Los Angeles, California). Williams co-designed with Hilyard Robinson the first federally funded public housing projects of the post-war period (Langston Terrace, Washington, D.C.) and later the Pueblo del Rio project in southeast Los Angeles. 
A A inventor Paul E. Williams Patented a Helicopter
Paul E. Williams (U.S. patent #3,065,933)
On November 26th, 1962, African American inventor, Paul E. Williams patented a helicopter, Lockheed Model 186 (XH-51). It was a compound experimental helicopter and only 3 units were built.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Marjorie Stewart Joyner invented a permanent wave machine
Marjorie Stewart Joyner was an American businesswoman. She was born in 1896. An employee of Madame Walker's empire, Majorie Joyner, invented a permanent wave machine. This device, patented in 1928, curled or "permed" women's hair for a relatively lengthy period of time. The wave machine was popular among women white and black allowing for longer-lasting wavy hair styles. Marjorie Joyner went on to become a prominent figure in Walker's industry, though Majorie Joyner never profited directly from her invention, for it was the assigned property of the Walker Company.
Marjorie Joyner was born in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and moved to Chicago to study cosmetology. Madam Walker was a Chicago business women who had come to fame as the beauty product supplier to hollywood star Josephine Baker. Marjorie Stewart Joyner invented her wave machine as a solution to the hair problems of African American women, however, she never profited form her invention. Madame Walker owned the rights. Marjorie Joyner became the Director of Madame Walker's beauty schools. Together with Mary Bethune Mcleod, Majorie Joyner founded the United Beauty School Owners and Teachers Association in 1945.
Marjorie Joyner also volunteered for several charities that helped house, educate, and find work for African Americans during the Great Depression.
Pat Robertson says....
Pat Robertson, the televangelist who once ran for president, said on his show “The 700 Club” that he thought marijuana should be legalized. “I’m not exactly for the use of drugs, but I just believe that criminalizing marijuana, criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot, that kind of thing, it’s costing us a fortune and it’s ruining young people," Mr. Robertson said. “Young people go into prisons, they go in as youths and come out as hardened criminals. That’s not a good thing.”
Ruth J Miro- inventor of personalized paper rings
"Changing The World ...One Paper Ring at a time." - Ruth J Miro
Ruth J Miro was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx. She is the founder of RJ Miro, and the inventor of personalized paper rings. Among her certificates and notable recognitions is included: Empire Who's Who, Manchester Who's Who, and Wall of Tolerance; for her “public stand against hate, injustice and intolerance, and those leading the way toward a more just America.”
As a successful African American entrepreneur, Miro believes in giving back to her community stating, “I would like to see more African American stores buying and selling African American products.”
Ruth Miro has been issued U.S. patent #6,113,298 for a paper ring and patent #6,764,100 for a stationery organizer. 
George Grant patents improved golf tee & oblate palate
George Grant, an avid golfer, was also interested in the physics of golfing. He set about to improve the game of golf and as a result he received U.S. patent No. 638,920 on December 12, 1899 for an improved golf tee.
Dr. George Grant graduated from Harvard Dental School in 1870. He was one of two African American to first graduate from Harvard Dental school, where he later taught.