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- In 1809, Thomas Paul founded the Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City.
- In 1821, Thomas L. Jennings was the FIRST African-American to file a patent. This patent was for a dry cleaning process known as ‘dry scouring’.
- The distinguished gospel singer who performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961 was Mahalia Jackson.
- The escape system used by slaves to find safety in the north was the underground railroad (with stations along the way as well as conductors who assisted the slaves).
- In 1996, the first athlete to win both the 200 and the 400 meter races (at the same event) was a black man named Michael Johnson. He ran the 200 meters in a world record time of 19.32 seconds.
- The first BLACK WOMAN to be appointed a US ambassador was Patricia Roberts Harris. She was named ambassador to Luxembourg.
- The first science book written by an African American to be housed in the Library Of Congress is titled Almanac by Benjamin Banneker.
- The African continent is mostly desert and grassland. Savanna grasses grow up to 12 feet high in some regions.
- Author Toni Morrison won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 for her novel Beloved.
- More than 200,000 protesters marched on Washington, D.C. in 1963 to demand civil rights reform. The march initiated a congressional campaign to give priority to legislation in this area.
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