SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
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Subject: Fwd: SOMTHING TO THINK ABOUT
Author: "Steven Shaw" <[log in to unmask]> at PO_EXTERNET
Date: 01/20/2000 9:41 AM
A great email to "bridge" MLK Day and Black History Month. Take Care.
Steven
>From: "Darryl G. Shreve" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Chris Shreve <[log in to unmask]>, list server:;, [log in to unmask],
> Melinda Shreve <[log in to unmask]>,
>[log in to unmask], [log in to unmask],
>[log in to unmask]
>Subject: SOMTHING TO THINK ABOUT
>Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 14:26:31 -0500 (EST)
>
>From: [log in to unmask] Subject: SOMTHING TO THINK ABOUT
>
>
>
>A very humorous and revealing story is told about a group of white people
>who were fed up with African Americans, so they join together and wish
>themselves away. They passed through a deep dark tunnel and emerged in sort
>of a twilight zone where there is an America without black people.
>
>At first these white people breathe a sigh of relief. At last, they say, no
>more crime, drugs, violence and welfare. All of the blacks have gone!!
>Then suddenly, reality sets in. The "NEW AMERICA" is not America at all
>--- only a barren land.
>
>1. There are very few crops that have flourished because the nation was
>built on a slave-supported system.
>
>2. There are no cities with tall skyscrapers because Alexander Mils, a
>black man, invented the elevator, and without it one finds great difficulty
>reaching high floors.
>
>3. There are few if any cars because Richard Spikes, a black man,
>invented the automatic gear shift, Joseph Gammell, also black, invented the
>Super Charge System for Internal Combustion Engines, and Garrett A. Morgan
>invented the traffic signals.
>
>4. Furthermore, one could not use the rapid transit system because its
>precursor was the electric trolley, which was invented by another black
>man, Elbert R. Robinson.
>
>5. Even if there were streets on which cars and a rapid transit system
>could operate, they were cluttered with paper because an African American,
>Charles Brooks, invented the street sweeper.
>
>6. There were few if any newspapers, magazines and books because John
>Love invented the pencil sharpener, William Purvis invented the fountain
>pen, Lee Burridge invented the Type Writing Machine and W.A. Lovette
>invented the Advanced Printing Press. They were all black.
>
>7. Even if Americans could write their letters, articles and books, they
>would not have been transported by mail because William Barry invented the
>Postmarking and Canceling Machine, William Purvis invented the Hand Stamp
>and Phillip Downing invented the Letter Drop.
>
>8. The lawns were brown and wilted because Joseph Smith invented the
>Lawn Sprinkler and John Burr the Lawn Mower.
>
>9. When they entered their homes, they found them to be poorly
>ventilated and poorly heated. You see, Frederick Jones invented the Air
>Conditioner and Alice Parker the Heating Furnace. Their homes were also
>dim. But of course, Lewis Latimer invented the Electric Lamp, Michael
>Harvey invented the Lantern and Granville T. Woods invented the Automatic
>Cut off Switch. Their homes were also filthy because Thomas W. Steward
>invented the Mop and Lloyd P. Ray, the Dust Pan.
>
>10. Their children met them at the door -- barefooted, shabby, motley
>and unkempt. But what could one expect. Jan E. Matzelinger invented the
>Shoe Lasting Machine, Walter Sammons invented the Comb, Sarah Boone
>invented the Ironing Board and George T. Samon invented the Clothes Dryer.
>
>11. Finally, they were resigned to at least have dinner amidst all of
>this turmoil. But here again, the food had spoiled because another black
>man, John Standard invented the refrigerator.
>
>What would this world be like without the contributions of Black people? If
>you value your students I challenge you to teach them the entire truth.
>Martin Luther King, Jr. said that by the time we leave for work we have
>been dependent on half the world -- modern America is created by
>dependencies on the inventions from the minds of Black folk. Teach all
>students that Black history includes more than just slavery, Frederick
>Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Jesse Jackson. Teach all
>students that Black history is American History and the History of America
>would not be so, without Black people.
>
>
>
>Darryl G. Shreve
>University Television
>_____________________________________________________
>Quote of the week.
>"The responsibility of tolerance lies in those who have the wider vision."
>- George Eliot
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
>
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