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May is a month full of excitement and celebration:
1st: We Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
To learn more – visit: https://asianpacificheritage.gov/
Mary Winston Jackson
Mary Winston (Jackson) was born in Hampton, VA on April 9, 1921. She attended Hampton’s all-Black schools and graduated with high honors from George P. Phenix Training School in 1937. Mrs. Jackson earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physical science from Hampton Institute in 1942. She excelled academically in a time of racial segregation.
Mrs. Jackson was one of a small group of African American women who worked for NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) as “human computers”. In the 1950s, Mrs. Jackson may have been the only black female aeronautical engineer in the field. She served as a vital role in the development of the space program.
In the 1970s, she helped the youngsters in the science club at Hampton’s King Street Community center build their own wind tunnel and use it to conduct experiments. Mrs. Jackson was interviewed in a local newspaper and noted: “We have to do something like this to get them interested in science”. "Sometimes they are not aware of the number of black scientists, and don't even know of the career opportunities until it is too late."
Mrs. Jackson enjoyed a productive engineering career, authoring or co-authoring a dozen or so research reports, most focused on the behavior of the boundary layer of air around airplanes for approximately 20 years. As the years progressed, her promotions slowed, and she became frustrated at her inability to break into management-level grades.
In 1979, seeing that the glass ceiling was the rule rather than the exception for the center’s female professionals, Mrs. Jackson made a final, dramatic career change, leaving engineering and taking a demotion to fill Langley’s Federal Women’s open position as Program Manager. At Langley, Mrs. Jackson worked hard to impact the hiring and promotion of the next generation of all of NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s) female mathematicians, engineers and scientists.
A 1976 Langley Researcher profile captured Mrs. Jackson’s spirit and character, calling her a “gentle lady, wife and mother, humanitarian and scientist.” For Mary W. Jackson, science and service went hand in hand.
Mrs. Jackson passed away at the age of 83 on February 11, 2005, at the Riverside Convalescent Home in Hampton, Virginia.
On June 24th, 2020, NASA announced that its Washington, D.C. headquarters would be renamed after Mrs. Jackson ~ The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters.
Read more at: Mary W. Jackson [NASA]
Susan Smith McKinney Steward, MD
Dr. McKinney- Steward was born in Brooklyn, NY (in 1847). She graduated valedictorian from the New York Medical College for Women in 1870 and was the first African-American woman to ever earn a medical degree in New York state. Dr. McKinney-Steward was the third African American woman to earn a MD in the United States.
She practiced medicine in Brooklyn and Manhattan, specializing in prenatal care and childhood diseases. She founded The Women's Hospital and Dispensary in Brooklyn which later became The Memorial Hospital for Women and Children. Dr. McKinney-Steward was also licensed to practice medicine in Montana and Wyoming.
Dr. McKinney-Steward later joined Wilberforce University in Ohio as a resident physician and faculty member teaching health and nutrition. She was an accomplished public speaker and in 1911 addressed the first Universal Race Congress at the University of London, England, with a presentation “Colored Women in America.”
Dr. McKinney-Steward passed away at the age of 71 (on March 17, 1918) in Brooklyn, NY.
W.E.B. DuBois, notable African-American sociologist / historian and civil rights activist administered her eulogy. Dr. McKinney-Steward is laid to rest in the Green-Wood Cemetery in her native Brooklyn, NY.
Read more: New York Medical College
Black History is…
U.S. History…Black History is - female history. In celebration of Black History Month 2022, we will showcase distinguished women…black women that left indelible marks in our history.
Join us…and enjoy!
#2022blackhistorymonth
Out of despair…hope and a brighter future:
Martin Luther King Jr. - stone image
Today we remember and honor the life and sacrifice of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
While we still have much of his dream to realize, we reflect on how far we’ve come and determine to do our part for the betterment of all.
“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles. Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances. Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it. Cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.” - The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.
Learn more at: The King Center
Happy Thanksgiving!
Entering into this Thanksgiving holiday, there is much to be thankful for…what are you thankful for? J. Steward Consulting Services wishes you and yours an enjoyable day!
Anabella Villalobos
Dr. Anabella Villalobos was raised in Panama City. She received her BS in chemistry from the University of Panama and her Ph.D. (in 1987) at the University of Kansas.
Dr. Villalobos was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at Yale University and joined Pfizer in 1989, where she worked on a variety of Central nervous system (CNS) projects in medicinal chemistry and diagnostics against Alzheimer's disease.
In 2016, Dr. Villalobos became the VP of Neuroscience and Pain medicinal chemistry, and published a video outreach campaign to describe her work and in 2017, she was recruited to be the Senior Vice President for Biotherapeutics & Medicinal Sciences at Biogen.
National Hispanic Heritage Month https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/
October is…
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Encourage your loved ones to get their annual mammographies. Consider donating your time and raising your awareness: Susan G. Komen.
Dolores Huerta
Photo Courtesy of Dolores Huerta Foundation
Dolores Clara Fernández Huerta, born in Dawson, New Mexico on April 10, 1930. Ms. Huerta is an American labor leader and civil rights activist, who (with Cesar Chavez) co-founded the National Farmworkers Association (NFA) in 1962. The NFA later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers (UFW).
Ms. Huerta helped organize the Delano grape strike in 1965 in California and was the lead negotiator in the workers' contract that was created after the strike.
Ms. Huerta has received numerous awards for her community service and advocacy for workers', immigrants', and women's rights, including the Eugene V. Debs Foundation Outstanding American Award, the United States Presidential Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
She is the first Hispanic woman inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in 1993.
Learn more at: Dolores Huerta Foundation
José Andrés
José Ramón Andrés Puerta is a world-renowned chef and restaurateur. He is credited for bringing the small plate (or tapas) dining concept to the U.S., which is a fun and interested fact.
We also appreciate his humanitarian and activism efforts, as founder of the World Central Kitchen (WCK). WCK is a non-profit devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Seeing that the U.S., Haiti and other countries have recently experienced natural disasters, Chef Jose and WCK has been on the ground serving countless meals to those most impacted by hurricanes and earthquakes.
Learn more at: World Central Kitchen
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
Continuing in our celebration, we delve into several distinguished members of our Hispanic community. Check back each week, September 15th, 2021 to October 15th, 2021 to see who we’re profiling. Our initial Post is regarding Dr. Ellen Ochoa…. Read on to learn more:
Photo Courtesy of NASA
Ellen Ochoa
Ellen Ochoa is a California native born in Los Angeles, CA – May 1958. Ellen is an Engineer and went on to become the 1st female Hispanic American (Mexican American) U.S. astronaut to travel into space in 1993.
Dr. Ochoa investigated optical systems for performing information processing. She is a co-inventor on three patents and author of several technical papers.
Dr. Ochoa received numerous awards, including NASA's highest award - Distinguished Service Medal and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.
Happy Mexican Independence Day!
Today we join in the celebration of Mexican Independence. Today acknowledges the victory of the Mexican people over Spain at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Did you know that Mexican Independence is celebrated around the globe? How will you celebrate today?
We join in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month ~ Sept 15th - Oct 15th
We’re excited about the next 30 days. To learn and share and celebrate with our Hispanic community. Be sure to check back frequently! :-)
