Remember the contributions made by African Americans

Editor:

In honor of Black history month the sisters of Sigma Gamma Rho would like to inform and/or remind students and faculty of this university of the countless contributions African Americans have made to our country and way of life.

For instance, where would Tucsonans be if Frederick Jones hadn't invented the air conditioner in 1949? With the invention of the elevator in 1867, Alexander Miles allowed for the first high rise buildings to be built. Another Black inventor who would change our lives forever is J. Standards who invented the refrigerator in 1891. The lawn mower, motor, typewriter, lock, ice cream scoop, dustpan, fountain pen, guitar, peanut butter, ironing board, curtain rod, fire extinguisher, almanac and gas mask were all invented by African Americans.

Additionally, Africans and African Americans have made many strides in the field of medicine. The blood plasma bag, allowing life-saving plasma to be kept many times longer than the methods before it was invented by Charles Drew in 1945, and an ancient Egyptian, Imhotep, invented the stethoscope.

The list of inventions and inventors goes on and on. We hope and expect that within this month of February, students and faculty will acknowledge the enormous contributions of greats life Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. However, it is also vital that we remember great African Americans inventors every time we use our automatic gear shifts in our cars, doorknobs, clothes dryers, wait at traffic lights, and use cellular phones and hairbrushes. Thank you.

The ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

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