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The history we weren’t taught
In response to “Thank our white forefathers” (Letters, July 9), white male history is almost all of the history taught in our schools. Think about what Black Americans have invented:
1. Electricity - Lewis Lattimer worked with Edison
2. Automobiles - Frederick Patterson
3. Trains - Granville Woods, R.A. Butler
4. Plane Propeller - James Adams
5. Farming - Henry Blair
6. Refrigeration/Air conditioning - Frederick M. Jones
7. Telephones - Henry Sampson
8. Toilets - T. Elkins
9. Space Shuttle Retrieval Arm - Wm. Harwell
10. Guided missiles/pacemaker controls - Otis Boykin
11. Computers - Mark Dean
12. Vaccinations - Onesimus
13. Home Security - Mary Van Britton Brown
14. Laser Cataract Treatment Device - Dr. Patricia Bath
If you have never heard of these people, it is because they are not included in our history books. There are many people from varied backgrounds that have contributed to make our American lives safer and more comfortable.
Kathlene Sevey
Colbert