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The Dream - Home Depot Gift Card Giveaway




February is Black History Month. Every year around this time you see images of Black inventors, scholars, theologians, scientists, business owners and entertainers that have made a mark on society. The pre-school television stations that I allow my son to watch have also been highlight great achievements of Black people. And although Mekhi is too young to understand the differences in skin color, I believe that it is wonderful for children to be exposed to greatness in all hues - especially since so often people of color are depicted negatively in the media.

Corporate giants also acknowledge Black History Month. Home Depot has gone a step further and is incorporating philanthropy. Through Feb. 28, The Home Depot is offering a commemorative “Dream” gift card celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. When customers purchase the collector’s edition “Dream” gift card, The Home Depot will donate five percent of all sales to the Center for Civil and Human Rights, up to $1 million dollars. The donation will assist in the building of a permanent exhibition home for his personal writings and papers.

The collection of original documents by Dr. King includes more than 10,000 items, among them 7,000 handwritten notes spanning from 1946 to 1968. They include drafts of his "I Have a Dream" speech, his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," other theological writings and his Nobel Peace Prize addresses. The King Papers will be part of the exhibition offering of The Center for Civil and Human Rights. The Dream cards can be purchased at any store, or online at homedepot.com/dream.

Home Depot has been generous enough to offer one of my readers a $50.00 gift card. In honor of Dr. King and Black History Month I would like to hear a tidbit about Black History from you. Who has inspired you (other than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or President Obama)? Do you have an interesting Black History fact to share? If you can't come up with something off the top of your head please find one fact and share it here in the comments.

This contest is open to US Addresses and the deadline for entry is February 24th. A winner will be chosen by random.org and will be contacted by email. If there is no response within 72 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Good Luck!






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Anonymous said…
Living in Harlem, I especially value the contributions of leading figures in the Harlem Renaissance (i.e. Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston).
kc@mominthecity.com
February 10, 2009 at 4:39 PM
Anonymous said…
Thanks for hosting this. My response is so long that I should probably turn it into a blog post. Oh well!

I'm from Atlanta, you know the Deep South? I am a child of integration/desegregation and busing. I've seen prejudice from all races and I have also seen and lived inclusion.

In my childhood in the 70s in Atlanta I went to an elementary school that was majority white when I started in 2nd grade and majority black when we moved 7 years later. My high school in the 80s in Rome, Ga was 50% black 50% white, give or take a percent every year. In college, I worked and studied with people of many different races.

One of my very best friends, EVER, is black. We went to college together and have since worked together and she purchased a house within 5 miles of mine, which is saying a lot in a sprawling metro area like Atlanta.

She and I went on a cruise with 2 of our friends who are also black. One of our friends said their mom was surprised that they had a white friend who would go on a cruise with 3 black friends.

Ironically, my friend and I worked together at The Home Depot. When I encouraged her to join me at THD one of the things she remembers me telling her I liked about the company is the diversity of race and ethnicity. There were truly people of all different colors on the teams we worked on. I liked working in an environment where I could learn about other cultures as was having lunch with my co-workers.

So, my point is, I live an integrated life. I think it is important to expose children to greatness of all hues, regardless of hue. It is possible to have friends who differ from you in ways that may seem significant on the surface: color, religion, political ideology, etc. but really are not significant in the long run. You have to be willing to listen to them and to respect and appreciate the differences.

Oh and to answer one of your other questions, as a conservative, a black man who inspires me is Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He is a man from Georgia who grew up in a time when race truly did make a huge difference. He has achieved greatness from very humble beginnings even while being ridiculed and raked over the coals for his achievements and beliefs.
February 10, 2009 at 5:03 PM
GuppyArt2 said…
Norman Rockwell painted Problem We All Live With in 1964. It was his first assignment for Look magazine, and he used the platform to illustrate a young girl's first day of school in New Orleans.

More relevant artwork followed, including Southern Justice in 1965, which illustrated the murder of a Civil Rights worker by KKK members in Philadelphia, MS...and he again featured children in 1967 in his piece New Kids in the Neighborhood depicting the desegregation of families in the suburbs.
February 10, 2009 at 6:36 PM
Erin said…
As an English teacher, I am absolutely inspired by the writings of African-Americans. I teach my students both Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou, and I make sure that they understand the struggles faced and what it REALLY means to read and appreciate these authors who overcame struggles and discrimination to do what they loved--write.
February 10, 2009 at 7:21 PM
Vodka Mom said…
I"ll just share a story from MLK week this year. One of my little fellas said, at the end of our book "Martin's Big Words..." that Martin was DEAD. And another little fella said, "Yeah, but his words are alive in my heart. And in my heart i feel love. "

I LOVED that....
February 10, 2009 at 7:32 PM
Teresa said…
This is such a timely question for me because I am a homeschooler and for the last few days I have been teaching my daughter about Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Booker T. Washington had a huge love for books and education. His rise from slavery to a man of distinction and power is a great story of inspiration for anyone. When Booker T. Washington went to Alabama to run Tuskegee University, it was in a small space rented from a church. Washington bought an old plantation and taught his students to make bricks and build the school themselves. They even sold bricks to make extra money for the school. Simply amazing! This man had such determination and solid work ethics, traits he passed to his students. No wonder that wonderful school still exists today. In 1901 he was the first African American invited to the White House as a guest of Theodore Roosevelt. In 1940 he was the first African American to be depicted on a stamp! I loved learning about this great man.
February 10, 2009 at 8:49 PM
Elita said…
I am inspired by the black men and women in my every day life who are doing the right thing: working hard, raising their kids to be responsible, loving people and creating a happy home life for them.
February 10, 2009 at 8:50 PM
nape said…
One of my heroes is Tina Turner. She left a violent marriage with only pennies in her pocket. I so admire her strength and courage, crawling OUT of a life-threatening disaster.
February 10, 2009 at 10:58 PM
strongmountain said…
An interesting fact is that black folks were allowed to be citizens during the colonial times as evidenced by Crispus Attucks. Slavery really changed race relations in the colonies and America.
February 10, 2009 at 11:26 PM
Anonymous said…
I guess the little piece of black history I'd like to share is one of my own. While I sat there taking pictures of my TV with President Obama taking the oath, my kids simply did not understand what the big deal was.

They have friends of all colors, nationalities, and that speak different languages. They are truly color-blind. They don't see why or how the color of a persons skin, the accent that rolls off their tongue, or even if they have 2 moms matters.

I know they will grow up and learn more about MLK and why President Obama's inaguration meant so much. For now I consider it history that it means so little to them.
February 11, 2009 at 12:14 AM
Claremont First Ward said…
Rosa Parks has always impressed me!
February 11, 2009 at 12:29 AM
Unknown said…
You have to admire Oprah Winfrey. The woman came from nothing and adversity to rise as one of the richest women in America. She gives generously to charities that move her. I do appreciate her down-to-earth way of talking to people on her show; she comes across as being a "real" person.
February 11, 2009 at 1:14 AM
Barbara said…
As a woman, who was once a disadvantaged inner city youth, I have to take my hat off and show an abundance of gratitude to the Black Panther Party members of the Oakland, CA chapter for starting the free lunch and breakfast programs in Bay Area schools. I can't tell you the number of years that I have benefited from a service that was put in place decades before.

Also, the Panthers ran an article in their very first issue of the Black Panther Party Newspaper, on April 25th 1967, about the murder of a 22 year old named Denzil Dowell. He was my grandmother's first cousin. Its so crazy how "your" history is always just a piece of a larger history.

You can read about it here ---> http://mindfully.org/Reform/Denzil-Dowell-Killed25apr67.htm
February 11, 2009 at 2:12 AM
Luxe Tips said…
What a fantastic giveaway!

My great-grandmother, my father's grandmother, was a sharecropper in Mississippi.

As many of you know, former slave owners offered African slaves jobs or careers as sharecroppers after the Abolition of Slavery. The former Slave owners needed the Africans to continue to work the land or else they would go out of business. Sharecroppers were given housing and either a portion of the crop or actual cash as payment. Well many of the former slave owners cheated the Africans out of their pay. Essentially, the Africans were making little money or no money at all. Some people would say it was slavery continued.

Well my great-grandmother grew tired of the land owner cheating her. After not receiving her just due for the 10th time, she simply gathered her one daughter and the clothes on her back and left everything and moved to New Orleans, LA. She raised her daughter and grandchildren in New Orleans and because she was a savvy business woman, she made dinners, homemade praline candy, caramel cakes, and other treats for sale! I love hearing this story about my great-grandmother. She was smart, courageous, and a survivor!
February 11, 2009 at 8:48 AM
*Tanyetta* said…
February 10 - 1964, After 10 days of debate and voting on 125 amendments, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by a vote of 290-130. The bill prohibited any state or local government or public facility from denying access to anyone because of race or ethnic origin. It further gave the U.S. Attorney General the power to bring school desegregation law suits.
February 11, 2009 at 10:32 PM
valerie2350 said…
i'm inspired by all who fought so hard for civil rights. It seems like such a long time ago, but it really wasn't - only a few decades ago African Americans weren't able to vote and now look at where we are! :) Of course there is always room for improvement, but it's wonderful how much has been accomplished!
February 12, 2009 at 2:10 AM
MBB Founder and Editor Denene Millner said…
I am absolutely fascinated by artists who use their God-given talents to showcase the lives of people of color. The two who absolutely take my breath away are August Wilson, the playwright, and Romare Bearden, the artist. August's work--his collection of plays that span 10 decades--are an incredible body of work; they're complicated, emotional, beautiful, and full of love of the African American experience.

Romare's work does all the same things. His collages simply move me beyond all reason.

Google them both--they're incredible artists.
February 14, 2009 at 9:21 PM
Mandy said…
My mom's best friend was the one of the first African American women to attend the University of Tennessee. Growing up, she would tell me stories about being spit on, called rude names, and generally degraded. She said there was NO WAY she was giving up her chance for an education and stood tall through it all. It's disgusting to hear that things like that happened not too long ago (and sometimes still today, sadly). She also had great stories about her dad--whenever any of them were sick, he would go in the woods behind their house and make up teas from the plants there that would always make them better. She wished she had learned some herbology from him.
February 15, 2009 at 7:53 AM
Mandy said…
My mom's best friend was the one of the first African American women to attend the University of Tennessee. Growing up, she would tell me stories about being spit on, called rude names, and generally degraded. She said there was NO WAY she was giving up her chance for an education and stood tall through it all. It's disgusting to hear that things like that happened not too long ago (and sometimes still today, sadly). She also had great stories about her dad--whenever any of them were sick, he would go in the woods behind their house and make up teas from the plants there that would always make them better. She wished she had learned some herbology from him.
February 15, 2009 at 7:53 AM
Maude Lynn said…
Ada Lois Sipuel's fight to integrate the University of Oklahoma Law School laid the groundwork for Brown v Board of education.
February 15, 2009 at 8:57 AM
Gretchen Magruder said…
Poet Gwendolyn Brooks has been a hero of mine....her beautiful way of expressing life and joy and pain of life...
February 15, 2009 at 9:22 AM
Ann On and On... said…
There are two stories here:

About 8 years ago I was the assistant manager to an upscale retail store. I was the first person to recruit and hire women/men of any race outside of Caucasian. (Can you believe I even worked there? sigh. I guess I was put there to be the change I want to see in this world.) It was a very cold winter day and I was walking the store as usual. I turned my head and saw the cutest bundle of pink with big BIG brown eyes waddling in a snowsuit, around the shoe department. If I had my head on crooked I would have picked her up and ran for the door. Back to reality, the little girls mom and I made introductions...and the most amazing friendship was born. The little girls has grown up. She is a huge fan of my husbands and wants to follow him into a science career. At the start of the school year I had the opportunity to do some homework with her and together we researched a famous African American by the name of George Washington Carver, a man that I once researched after seeing a coin with his face on. (I still have it.) He is a botany and agriculturalist...a scientist and humanitarian. His favorite saying:

“It is not the style of clothes one wears,
neither the kind of automobile one drives,
nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts.
These mean nothing.
It is simply service that measures success.”

Human needs over ego and power. One mans words that ring true years ago and years ahead.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, I think I'll call my friend today...
February 15, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Preston said…
I am a white man who grew up in a white neighborhood in a 99% white town. But my maternal grandparents lived in another town in a racially mixed neighborhood. I learned about Dr. King at a very early age, but not at the schools. One of my grandparents neighbors was an older woman, half American Indian and half African, who I visited often. She use to tell me stories about Dr. King. I blogged about it early on in my blog, Renee, probably before you started reading my blog. I won't rewrite it here but I listing the link in case you want to go read it: http://meandtheblueskies.blogspot.com/2008/07/4th-of-july-independence-freedom.html
February 15, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Rachel Ann said…
I am student teaching in a Senior Government class this semester, and one of our daily activities is to watch CNN Student News. This month they have been showcasing men and women in all fields that have contributed to black history.

Some interesting tidbits that I have learned:

1. Black History month started in 1926 as Negroe History Week.

2. The first African-American woman to get her pilots license was Betsie (I think)...more interesting is that she did this in the early 1900's! Amazing for a woman!

3. Maya Angelou was asked to read an original poem for the presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton.

There have been many, many more interesting tidbits....and all have made me appreciate black history even more.

PS...the first African-American Senator was Hiram Revels...1869 in Mississippi!
February 15, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Charlotte atb@lifesacharm.net said…
I researched one tidbit:

Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper is the First African-American Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy

http://www.history.army.mil/html/topics/afam/flipper.html
February 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM
makeetis said…
I had to research but I wanted to pick someone that I really thought made a change. I will say Sojourner Truth. She was an amazing woman. I read the bio of her and I was quite amazed. She fought for what she believed in even when she walked of miles and days. We could really learn a lot from her. brewerchickey78(at)yahoo.com
February 15, 2009 at 8:46 PM
Unknown said…
My patients at work (psychiatric) really inspire me by being couragous enough to ask for help.


Thanks for entering me! Great Contest!

Janna Johnson
jannajanna@hotmail.com
http://feedyourpig.blogspot.com
http://feedyourpiggiveaways.blogspot.com
February 15, 2009 at 8:57 PM
Daisy said…
Marian Anderson remains a great inspiration. I'm a former music teacher, and her story reminds me and my students that nothing comes easily, even with talent.
February 15, 2009 at 9:10 PM
Harris Family said…
I am inspired by Coretta Scott King. After all she had walked through courageously alongside her husband, she lost him so unexpectedly. She didn't quit, though, out of fear; she kept on in his work...in his declaration of peace-filled fighting for truth and justice.
February 15, 2009 at 9:38 PM
Christine said…
There was a terrible race riot in my city, Tulsa, OK, in 1921. The riot was sparked by a white woman's allegations of a se xual attack by a black man (which were never substantiated). Allegedly 36 people were killed and hundreds more injured. A Commission was formed in 1997 to further investigate the riot, which is largely absent from Oklahoma History books (huh?!).
February 15, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Angie said…
In college, my roommate left "I know why the caged bird sings" on her desk after she had gone home for the weekend. I decided to read a few pages..well, I ended up reading the whole book that night. Never has a book gripped me like Maya Angelou's book. I could relate on so many levels to the abuse and lack of self esteem/control that she felt. No matter what color a person is...inside we are all the same. It just took my soul and shook it like a rug. To this day, her book sits on my bookshelf and every so often, I reread it. Powerful book.
February 15, 2009 at 10:38 PM
Tiffany said…
As a lover of words, Maya Angelou is a true inspiration. My favorite quote of her's is:

"If I have a monument in this world, it is my son."

Have it on the wall above my son's photographs, everyone comments on it.

She just says it perfectly.
February 16, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Karenladd said…
I grew up in Los Angeles and attended an elementary school that was 90 percent african american. while many of the students came from middle class families, a large number of them were struggling families with single parents and multiple generations under one roof. I was struck by the number of strong female figures in those homes. The 60 year old grandmother who still worked full time and also helped raise her grandchildren. The single mother who attended school at night after she finished her day of work...and still found time to attend Open House at school. These women made me understand that women were as strong, or stronger than men. That being a female did not mean you had to give up. They made me proud to be a girl...who would grow up to be a woman some day.
February 16, 2009 at 1:38 AM
Serena said…
I've always been inspired by Sojourner Truth and her "Ain't I a woman?" speech. The woman had spunk!
February 16, 2009 at 4:04 AM
Jessica said…
Hi! Love this idea for comments!

I think that the person that has inspired me the most is Rosa Parks. I teach 1st grade and I love telling her story to them because they can see that even one person can make a difference. I'm not sure that I would be strong enough to do what she did. She was such a woman of courage and strength!
February 16, 2009 at 8:08 AM
Leslie M. said…
I have an interesting/ cute story. My now 22 year old daughter, had to do a report for Black History Month Back in Second Grade. She didn't want to do it on someone that the other children were doing it on. I asked her what HER PASSION was. She said BALLET! So I asked her if she had ever heard of Alvin Ailey, and of course she had NOT. She researched the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Her Teacher had never heard of this wonderful Man. In all HER years of teaching my daughter was the first child to do a report on Alvin Ailey (such a talented man, unfortunately he died in 1989 at age 58, so sad!
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
February 16, 2009 at 8:35 AM
Shannon said…
Hey! I work at a Primary School and a few years ago I came across this book, "Freedom Box" and decided to read it to the kids for black history month. I could barely get through the story without cryaing and then I find out it's based on a real person, Henry "Box" Brown. IT just makes you thankful we live in the world we do today, where families can be together.
February 16, 2009 at 4:34 PM
4in4 said…
Gotta go with Toni Morrison's poetry. :)
February 16, 2009 at 7:36 PM
Nadi said…
I love Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes.

treflea4 at gmail dot com
February 16, 2009 at 8:14 PM
Anonymous said…
My parents. Thier lawsuit went all the way to the supreme court.
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=387&invol=369

luckydolls123[at]verizon[dot]net
February 16, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Marina said…
I love Harriet Tubman & Maya Angelou. ~! :) Great giveaway! Loved reading all the wonderful comments!

sounders68 [at] gmail.com
February 17, 2009 at 2:49 AM
MaggieM said…
In our family we were raised to be color-blind. I had many African American friends in school and have dated African American men who knew LESS about their roots, struggles, and Civil Rights leaders than I did. Sad. I have been truly inspired by so many people, from Rosa Parks and Metgar Evans, Justice Clarence Thomas, Booker T. Washington, to Maya Angelou (I know why the caged bird sings) to Oprah Winfrey, who continue to inspire me and remind me that we are not a color, we are human beings. We all fight the same battles and we all want the same thing for our children and grand children. These people chose leadership and I am so grateful to have "known" them through their writings and their accomplishments.

maggie@mannwieler.com
February 17, 2009 at 2:49 PM
gail said…
way to go home depot for getting behind this.

i've been impressed by oprah and the story of rosa parks, but my real inspiration were my friends melissa and cookie, who bucked the trend when it wasn't trendy. melissa (white) and cookie (black) fell in love and got married. and stayed married. and were the most normal couple you could have met.

thanks for having this contest.

angelmama1919 (at) yahoo (.) com
February 17, 2009 at 4:35 PM
www.JusticeJonesie.com/blog said…
My inspiration comes from the Island of Haiti. On January 1, 1804Haiti became the world’s first black republic. Almost 350 years after it was conquered by the Spanish. The independence helped free the Island of slaves.

Sign me up!!
February 17, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Anonymous said…
Crispus Attucks (c. 1723 – March 5, 1770) was one of five people killed in the Boston Massacre in Boston, Massachusetts.He has been frequently named as the first martyr of the American Revolution and is the only Boston Massacre victim whose name is commonly remembered.


paddyboo@hotmail.com
February 18, 2009 at 2:51 PM
petteytiffany@yahoo.com said…
my aunt inspires me because of the hard life she has lived and overcome evrything by herself owning a business. as for the black history fact: barack obama is the first black president and i am surprised i didn't see that yet thanks 4 the giveaway
February 18, 2009 at 4:37 PM
Betty N said…
My grown son's third grade teacher, Mary Watts, was an inspiration to me as a teacher. She truly accepted each child in her classroom as they were and would find a plan that would help each child. My son at that time was smart but had real problems with time management, neatness, coordination, and social relationships. She totally knew what to do for him...we were so thankful as parents. When she saw a child of a neighboring class always being put to sit outside the classroom for discipline, she talked to her class about inviting him to be a part of their class. And they did...and another child was helped. She later became the Director of Elementary education for our county.
February 18, 2009 at 5:42 PM
Anonymous said…
Henry Blair (1807 - 1860), the second African-American to receive a patent, invented a corn seed planter in 1834 and a cotton planter in 1836. Blair could not read or write and signed his patent with an X.

mjgroesbeck@yahoo.com
February 18, 2009 at 11:43 PM
Anonymous said…
Being a writer who used to dabble in poetry before I figured out that I couldn't write to save my life, my answer would be Maya Angelou. Her writings shaped some of who I am today.

(Thanks for a great giveaway!)

email: firemom @ stopdropandblog dot com
February 19, 2009 at 12:37 AM
Renee Simmons said…
My inspiration was growing up in a multicultural neighborhood. I had friends of all colors and in the 70's that was kind new to our parents. My mom encouraged it and taught us to look beyond the color. Some of my best friends in grade & high school were black, so were my husbands (high school sweethearts). I couldn't see life without them then or now. My husband & I taught our children that color didn't matter, it was the person. Both of my kids have friends of all colors, races & religions. Our son came home when he was in high school and said thank you for teaching him that color wasn't a issue and that he liked this one beautiful black girl. It was a high school crush, but we encouraged him. It didn't bother us. No matter the color, we all bleed the same, cry the same, are human. The big turn around in our family was 10 years ago my younger sister adopted a little girl of color. The older generations in our family were saying things, like what will you do if, what if this happens, do you raise her this or that. PLEASE! Guess what? This little girl changed all of our older generation in our family. She is now 14 and turning into a young woman. I cannot wait to see our future with more people accepting all colors!!
February 19, 2009 at 12:45 AM
Anonymous said…
My husbands grandmother is who has inspired me a lot. My husband is from Jamaica and the culture there is much different than here. She tells me color isnt an issue there and that no one "sees" color. I love that aboout my husbands whole side of the family, they are very accepting of me and our marriage and our children, a lot more accepting unfortunately more so than a lot of people on my side of the family. It always seems to be that way for me though. The African American People seem more accepting of white people that the other way around. I never knew why this was.
My mother in law and grandmother in law have instilled in me never to judge people and to leave that up to God and to care for everyone no matter what they look like. So I try to instill this in my family as well, and whenever I am around young people I always , when I get the chance, try to talk to them about it too.
February 19, 2009 at 12:54 AM
Anonymous said…
Most (if not all) Westerns never tell the true story of the Old West. The contributions of the black cowboys. Between 5,000 and 8,000 black cowboys, mostly ex-slaves, are believed to have ridden the cattle trails between 1866-1896, about a fourth of the total number of cowboys.

jimmyrug@hotmail.com
February 19, 2009 at 3:28 AM
Amy L said…
I am inspired by Oprah Winfrey. Her climb to success is an amazing story, and her quest to help and inform us all is unmatched.
February 19, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Katharina said…
I admire Condoleezza Rice for many many reasons. The first is, of course, the heights to which she rose as a Black girl from segregated Alabama.

Her life story is full of obstacles but one by one she overcame them to become one of the most powerful women in the world.

In addition to her political status, she is an accomplished scholar and pianist.

Dr. Rice gets my vote for admirable Black American for this Black History Month. :-)
February 19, 2009 at 4:31 PM
Anonymous said…
I'm actually inspired by a black neighbor of mine. She was raised in a very hard family in a neighborhood riddled with crime and drugs but she went on to become a scientist, join the military and honestly, the best mother I know. Our neighborhood moms all joke about how we want to be her when we grow up. She's only about 8 years older than I am, but in many ways, she is one of the wisest women I know. So, while not a famous person, or someone who will ever wind up in a newspaper or magazine, I find her truly inspirational.

mrsaharper at hotmail dot com
February 19, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Anonymous said…
jjobe1@roadrunner.com
I think I would really like to honor Rosa Parks for standing up for what she believed in. What a great and brave woman she was!
February 19, 2009 at 8:26 PM
Anonymous said…
I'm inspired by how strong many black women are and how they can work so hard and look so good!
February 20, 2009 at 5:29 PM
Anonymous said…
I am inspired by Obama because I think he was the perfect first black president. He is a go getter and very likeable

weblynx at hotmail.com
February 20, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Anonymous said…
I've always been in awe of and appreciative of Arthur Mitchell. I'll bet you know who he is, don't you?
He's a choreographer, first black Principal dancer in a major dance company and founder of Dance Theatre of Harlem.
What a wonderful gift he has given to countless people.
February 21, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Delora said…
My 11th grade english teacher had this uncanny way of inspiring me to do my best work. I was a pretty lazy student in high school, but somehow I always wanted to impress her with my assignments. I ended up taking journalism as an elective my senior year solely because she was teaching the course.
February 22, 2009 at 8:10 PM
anna j said…
I was THRILLED to learn, while I was working in Africa, that Obama had been elected. It was a bear of a job getting my absentee vote in with the unreliable mail services but I did it--and we have a historically significant new leader!
February 22, 2009 at 9:01 PM
Tia said…
I have to agree with anonymous regarding Rosa Parks and her strength to stand up for what she believed in.

nhmummab@comcast.net
February 22, 2009 at 9:59 PM
Unknown said…
I too would pick Rosa Parks, growing up in Alabama it was never easy for people to discuss race due to the fanatical radicals who still believed in white power. I always remembered Ms. Parks story when things got reallytough, she is an inspiration to so many including me!!!
February 23, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Carma Sez said…
I discovered some inventions that shape our everyday lives that were created by African Americans, including the pencil sharpener, fire escape ladders, fire extinguisher, blood banks and the electric elevator among others. Quite impressive.
February 23, 2009 at 1:07 PM
Carolyn said…
Walter Williams. My husband took me to one of his speeches when we were dating. I don't think Consevative principles have ever been explained to succinctly. That speech opened my eyes and I've never looked back. What I did not know about Mr. Williams is that he is the Author of 150 publications. I do know, when he subs for Rush...I am right there!
February 23, 2009 at 2:19 PM
kaylee8 said…
The George Washington Carver home is just a few minutes from where I live and I have visited a number of times. He was exceptionally gifted and is certainly inspiring to all youth.
February 23, 2009 at 5:35 PM
Anonymous said…
Poet Langston Hughes ALWAYS astounds me with the breadth of his work. I love his work, it's so touching and intellient. On a lighter (?) note, I adore comedian Chris Rock!! He and Dave Chappelle are raunchy yet somehow ingenius. It's my belief that humor takes an individual to great heights, especially when the comedian grew up in unpleasantness regarding race or economic/social class. Thanks so much for the entry!

c81280@hotmail dot com
February 23, 2009 at 9:43 PM
camper223 said…
Other then my granparents and my mother, I have been inspired by Mr King, Abe Lincoln, Rosa Parks and all thoe who stand up and fight for what they feel in their hearts is right. Today to many want to judge and pick issues with those that want to be themselves and aren't trying to impress others by having the best, but are surviving on how they can help those around them.
Thank you for the chance to be a winner.
I would like to be able to purchase a window shade at home depot, I buy one each time we have extra money so thank you..

camper223[at]live[dot]com
February 24, 2009 at 2:38 AM
Diana D said…
I'm a retired military wife who was raised in the north. Being in the military I formed many fine relationships with not only black folks but folks of other ethnic backgrounds. In the military we seemed to work together.

Thanks for having the wonderful giveaway.

dianad8008 AT gmail DOT com
February 24, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Anonymous said…
I am inspired by the words and deeds of the late Mrtin Luther King.

I would like to share a first, Matthew A. Henson, 1909, accompanied Robert E. Peary on the first successful United States expedition to the North Pole.
February 24, 2009 at 8:46 AM
NASCAR Race Mom said…
That was an easy question for me - Wendall Scott.

Wendell Oliver Scott (August 28, 1921 – December 23, 1990) was an American stock car racing driver from Danville, Virginia. He is the only black driver to win a race in what is now the Sprint Cup Series.
February 24, 2009 at 1:19 PM
Alan D said…
I am inspired by Barack Obama. I live in Chicago and I have never seen anybody from this area climb so far, so fast. He is an outstanding speaker and diplomat. Really he was the only one that we were talking about around Election Time.

Here is a fact: Black History Month is also celebrated in the UK. But, October is the Black History month in the UK.

Thanks!
February 24, 2009 at 4:07 PM
Kathy P said…
Harriet Tubman was a former slave who married a free black man and escaped from Maryland to Philadelphia in 1849. On numerous risky trips south, she helped some 300 other slaves escape before serving as a scout and spy for Union forces in South Carolina during the Civil War.
February 24, 2009 at 6:30 PM
/\Heather/\ said…
Check this out: Jesse Ernest Wilkins Jr. is a physicist, mathematician and an engineer, who earned a PhD. in mathematics at age 19 from the University of Chicago in 1942. The first Doogie?
February 24, 2009 at 9:24 PM
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