Black History Month or African-American History Month is celebrated annually during the month of February to honor the achievements of African Americans. The origin of Black History Month dates back to February 1976 when it was officially designated as the month to recognize the important contributions of African Americans to the United States both past and present.
In recognition of Black History Month, some Cubic employees recently reflected on what the month means to them and who they admire when it comes to making a difference.
Andre Blair, site manager, Cubic Global Defense
As a Site Manager located at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina, Blair oversees the operational maintenance and logistics support for U.S. Marine Corps aviation training devices for various aircraft platforms. He has been with Cubic for 12 years.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black History Month is an annual opportunity to showcase and highlight to mainstream America some of the achievements and contributions that were made by African Americans. It is another reminder of the hard work, innovation and persistence shown by African Americans to make our nation what it is today. Since many of these contributions are often overlooked in our general discussions on history, Black History Month provides an opportunity to enlighten the community at-large on the great things African Americans have done.
As we celebrate Black History Month, what’s a contribution African Americans have made that you wish more people were aware of? Or a contribution that is especially meaningful to you?
I have been involved in some facet of Naval Aviation for over 30 years. My career spans from being a young enlisted aircraft technician in 1985 to working today as a manager in perhaps one of the best companies in the world. The contributions of African Americans to Naval Aviation and U.S. Marine Corps history are very special to me. I can remember the first time I read about General Frank Peterson, the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and Marine Corps General. I will never forget the feeling of pride when I learned about the Montford Point Marines, and how they thrived despite being trained in separate facilities and assigned to segregated units. The contributions of these trailblazers paved the road for my success.
Cyrus Wilson, director of support services, Cubic Mission Solutions
Wilson works as the Director of Support Services for GATR Technologies, part of Cubic Mission Solutions. Wilson has been with GATR for six years and previously served as its USSOCOM Program Manager.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
Black history month is a great time to reflect on the history of African Americans. It’s a celebration of the historical achievements, successes, struggles and pain that black people have endured for hundreds of years. When I was a kid, I participated in several “Black History Quiz Bowls” and brought home first place trophies. Those history bowls taught me a great deal about the known and unknown figures who contributed to making a difference for African Americans. Michael Jackson wrote a song called “You Were There” for Sammy Davis Jr. as a tribute to the way he endured racism and broke down the walls of racial tension. The song simply ends with, “I am here because you were there.” So, when I think about Black History, I think of the great African Americans who paved the way to the freedoms I enjoy today. It gives me a sense of duty to honor those before me by aspiring to use my time on Earth to make this world a little better!
As we celebrate Black History Month, what’s a contribution African Americans have made that you wish more people were aware of? Or a contribution that is especially meaningful to you?
I wish more people were aware of African American inventions. Some of the greatest, most common items we use today were invented by African Americans. Potato chips, letter mail boxes and the gas mask are all things that African Americans either invented or held early patents. So, the next time you stop at a traffic light, use an ice cream scooper, or blast someone with a Super Soaker water gun, take a moment to appreciate the African American who invented it!
Dumouchel Clermont, senior electrical engineer, Cubic Transportation Systems
Clermont has been with Cubic since 1986 and currently serves as a senior electrical engineer for Cubic Transportation Systems.
If you could pick any figure central to Black History to have dinner with, whom would it be and why?
I would choose to dine with the late Gerald “Jerry” Lawson who was an American electronic engineer. His work is most notable for developing the Fairchild Channel F video game console as well as inventing the video game cartridge. He revolutionized the gaming industry by creating swappable game cartridges which is part of the foundation for gaming today.
As we celebrate Black History Month, what’s a contribution African Americans have made that you wish more people were aware of? Or a contribution that is especially meaningful to you?
I think a notable contribution to our everyday lives is the invention of the three position traffic signal which was invented and patented by Garrett Morgan in 1922. Morgan's invention was deemed to be safer than previous versions of the traffic signal and is the basis for all of our traffic signals today.