Scott Luton (00:12):

Good morning, Scott Luton here with you on this edition of this week in business history. Welcome to today’s show on this program, which is part of the supply chain. Now family of programming. We take a look back at the upcoming week, and then we share some of the most relevant events and milestones from years past, of course, mostly business focused with a little dab of global supply chain. And occasionally we might just throw in a good story outside of our primary realm. So I invite you to join me on this. Look back in history to identify some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations, and perhaps lessons learned in our collective business journey. Now let’s dive in to this week in business history.

Scott Luton (01:10):

Hello, and thanks for joining us. I’m your host Scott Luton. And today we’re focusing on black history month right here on this week in business history. Thanks so much for listening to the show. As we all know, a month certainly does new justice to the endless remarkable contributions to our collective global history that had been made by African-Americans. We must celebrate these historical contributions a year round today. We’re going to be sharing six things that you didn’t know about black history. Thanks again for joining us here on this week in business history, powered by our team here at supply chain. Now, so number one on our list, the origins of black history month, it all started with one Carter G Woodson, the pride of new Canton, Virginia, the son of former slaves, Anna Alonza and James Henry Woodson, both of which could not read nor write.

Scott Luton (02:06):

However, they had a major impact on Carter Woodson, who would later write a key piece of advice that his father shared with him. Quote, learning to accept insult, to compromise on principle, to mislead your fellow man or to betray your people is to lose your soul. In quote, in 1915, Carter G Woodson and Jesse Moreland founded an organization that would later be known as the association for the study of African-American life in history in 1926, the same organization set aside a week to celebrate African-American history and accomplishments they elected to choose the second week of February because it coincided with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglas. Over the ensuing decades. The yearly celebration would gather steam until 1976, when U S president Gerald Ford officially recognized black history month. It is now celebrated in the U S and Canada each February amongst others.

Scott Luton (03:11):

Internationally. It is celebrated in Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, each October Carter G Woodson who started it all would also become known by many as the father of black history. Number two, on the list of six things you didn’t know about black history, the first black patent holder, that distinction would go to one Thomas L. Jennings who advanced the dry cleaning industry by inventing a process called dry scouring at age 30 in 1821, Jennings would earn his patent. Thomas Jennings would use some of his earliest profits from the patent on legal fees to free his wife and children from slavery and indentured surface Jennings. In particularly his daughter, Elizabeth would go on to be civil rights activists and would have a big part in desegregating New York city street cars and public facilities. Number three on our list has to do with a successful 19th century entrepreneur, arguably the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire was Madam CJ Walker born Sarah Breedlove near Delta, Louisiana in 1867.

Scott Luton (04:23):

She’d eventually moved to St. Louis and then Denver, Colorado, while in Denver Walker went about perfecting a haircare treatment for African-Americans. It was in the advertising of her products that Sarah Breedlove in her husband, Charles would coin her pseudonym. Madam CJ Walker, as her products became more and more popular. The couple would establish the Madam CJ Walker manufacturing company. In Indianapolis years later, Walker would move to New York and be an integral figure in the Harlem Renaissance. She going to make huge donations to a wide variety of charities and nonprofit initiatives, including the NAACP, the Walker building in Indianapolis, which was begun by Madam CJ Walker before her death is now designated as a national historic landmark. Number four on our list of things you didn’t know about black history. We talk about the father of African art. Aaron Douglas was born into Piqua, Kansas on may 26, 1899.

Scott Luton (05:25):

After earning a degree in fine arts from the university of Nebraska, Charles S. Johnson would recruit Douglas to New York city. He would arrive in Harlem and his art career in journey would blossom as Nancy Anderson and the national gallery of art would put it quote Douglas drew upon his study of African art and his understanding of the intersection of cubism and art deco to create a style that soon became the visual signature of the Harlem Renaissance in quote from 1940 to 1966, Aaron Douglas would mentor countless art students at Fisk university in Nashville while keeping his apartment in Harlem. So he and his wife could remain active in the cultural community there amongst his many works of art that earned him his nickname as the father of African art is a piece entitled. Let my people go now on display at the metropolitan museum of art in New York city.

Scott Luton (06:24):

Number five on our list of six things you didn’t know about black history, the Genesis of the globally recognized popular toy, the supersoaker for 30 years or more, the supersoaker has been used to win. What are gunfights around the world? It officially hit toys store shelves in 1990. However, the idea and original concept belongs to Lonnie Johnson, a NASA engineer who came up with the idea at his home in Pasadena, while working on the historic Galileo mission, it would take Johnson seven years to find the right production partner to bring his idea, the supersoaker to the masses, that partner would eventually be the Philadelphia based toy company, Laramie who took it to the market. Initially as the power drencher, it would be wildly popular from the start 2 million units were sold in the summer of 1991. The supersoaker will be inducted into the national toy hall of fame in 2015, as it had grossed over 1 billion us dollars and had sold over 250 million units since heading the market.

Scott Luton (07:30):

We’re not inventing global iconic toys, Lonnie Johnson who earned the nickname. The professor from his colleagues would spend time with NASA, the U S air force and Hasbro, according to a biography.com. He was quoted in 2017 as saying, quote, when you look at large corporations, the minority representation is only 10% or so, but minorities are 30% of the population. Soon to be 40%. We can’t maintain technology leadership in the world. When we’re leaving large segments of our population on the sidelines, we need all hands on deck. That’s something I emphasize to people. Every opportunity I get in quote, finally, number six are lists of six things you didn’t know about black history. We talk about the first African-American woman to lead a fortune 500 company born in a housing project in New York city. In 1958, Ursula burns was raised by her mother, Olga who taught her tenacity in a dominating work ethic.

Scott Luton (08:30):

Olga burns also taught her children to speak their minds in a PBS interview. Ursula would say, quote, I learned from my mother that if you have a chance to speak, you should speak. If you have an opinion, you should make it be known in a quote in 1980, Ursula burns, secured a summer internship at Xerox 29 years later, she become CEO. The first African-American woman to lead a fortune 500 company and her eight years as CEO and then chairman of the company were pivotal times for Xerox. The organization would essentially transform from focused on hardware to focusing on software after her Tom Xerox, Ursula burns. We’re going to serve on the board for wide variety of companies, including American express, Uber MIT and the us Olympic committee. She told Tom firsts in an interview that quote, I say this to women all the time, particularly women trying to get into STEM.

Scott Luton (09:28):

I guarantee you will be the minority in the room, in a set of that. Being a burden. It should be an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself in quote, what an exceptional role model for so many. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of each of these powerful six individuals, each that made such a tremendous impact in the face of such challenging circumstances and even better. Each of these remarkable individuals have left a powerful legacy that includes inviting others to take the Baton and make more change. Will you accept the challenge? How will you leave your Mark? There’s no time left to present. As Ursula burns once said a quote, all of us now are pioneers. Every one of us in quote, well, that just about wraps up this edition of this week in business history. Big thanks to you. Our listener for tuning into the show each week, be sure to check out a wide variety of industry thought leadership@supplychainnow.com where you’re going to find digital transformers.

Scott Luton (10:30):

You’re going to find tequila, sunrise tech talk, digital supply chain podcast. Supply chain is boring and much, much more friendly reminder. Of course you can find this week in business history, wherever you get your podcasts from and be sure to tell us what you think we’d love to earn your review on behalf of the entire team here at this week in business history and supply chain. Now this is Scott Luton wishing all of our listeners, nothing but the best. Hey, do good give forward and be the change that’s needed. And on that note, we’ll see you next time here on this week in business history. Thanks.