HUSL Today Salutes

Garrett Morgan

Garrett Morgan was born in Paris, Kentucky on March 4, 1877. His early childhood was spent attending school and working on the family farm with his brothers and sisters.

Businesses
In 1907, the inventor opened his own sewing equipment and repair shop. It was the first of several businesses he would establish. In 1909, he expanded the enterprise to include a tailoring shop that employed 32 employees. In 1920, Garrett Morgan moved into the newspaper business when he established the Cleveland Call. As the years went on, he became a prosperous and widely respected business man.

The gas mask
On July 25, 1916, Garrett Morgan made national news for using his gas mask to rescue 32 men trapped during an explosion in an underground tunnel 250 feet beneath Lake Erie. Morgan and a team of volunteers donned the new "gas masks" and went to the rescue. After the rescue, Morgan's company received requests from fire departments around the country who wished to purchase the new masks. The Morgan gas mask was later refined for use by U.S. Army during World War I. In 1914, Garrett Morgan was awarded a patent for a Safety Hood and Smoke Protector. Two years later, a refined model of his early gas mask won a gold medal at the International Exposition of Sanitation and Safety, and another gold medal from the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The traffic signal
After witnessing a collision between an automobile and a horse-drawn carriage, Garrett Morgan took his turn at inventing a traffic signal. Other inventors had experimented with, marketed, and even patented traffic signals, however, Garrett Morgan was one of the first to apply for and acquire a U.S. patent for an inexpensive to produce traffic signal. The patent was granted on November 20, 1923. Garrett Morgan also had his invention patented in Great Britain and Canada.

Garrett Morgan stated in his patent for the traffic signal,

"This invention relates to traffic signals, and particularly to those which are adapted to be positioned adjacent the intersection of two or more streets and are manually operable for directing the flow of traffic...In addition, my invention contemplates the provision of a signal which may be readily and cheaply manufactured."

Morgan invented a zig-zag stitching attachment for manually operated sewing machine. He also founded a company that made personal grooming products, such as hair dying ointments and the curved-tooth pressing comb.

Garrett Morgan was an inventor and businessman from Cleveland who is best known for inventing a device called the Morgan safety hood and smoke protector in 1914.

HUSL Today Salutes Garrett Morgan!!!

HUSL Today Salutes

Lisa Price

Image source: http://kingsrowefashion.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/lisa.jpg

Its the return of the salute and who better to salute than the maker of my favorite products (I could realistically open my own store). Enough about me, its time to get down to business.

Fast facts about Lisa Price:
She was born on May 18, 1962 in Brooklyn, New York.
She studied pre-law at City College in New York.

She was a messenger for the United Nations.

She was a writers assistant for The Cosby Show.

She was a script coordinator for Lifetime TV.

Carol's Daughter is a line of natural beauty products with over 300 items.

The timeline:
She started with fragrances in 1989, making stuff in her kitchen before "natural products" were popular. All of her products are completely natural which means they do not contain petroleum, or anything like that. She proclaims she was encouraged by her mother, Carol, and she started selling at church and flea markets, and was selling out.
In 1990-1993 she invested $100 and expanded her line by making creams and lotions.
In 1999 Price added mail-order, website and walk-in customers and she opened her first store in Brooklyn.

To encourage a young lady who had recently quit her job Price said

"You hated that job and it made you feel sick, so why would quitting be bad?' Even if there was weakness involved, and you could have stuck it out, you have to let it go and forgive yourself. You were weak once. Forgive yourself and you'll succeed again and be stronger."

In 2002, Carol's Daughter products, all created by Price in her kitchen, generated $2.25 million in sales, Price said, thanks in part to endorsements by some high-profile clients. She has celebrity endorsements from hip hop royalty including Beyonce and Jay-Z, Mary J Blige, Will & Jada Smith, Jimmy Lovine, Thalia and others. She was also touted by Oprah which lead to a feature on CNBC's "The Oprah Effect." Check the video below.
Image source: http://www.talkingmakeup.com/pics/carols/tui2.jpg



More after the jump.

HUSL Today Salutes

Benjamin Banneker 

Image source: http://www.african-americaninventors.org/images/db_images/Banneker.png

On November 9 1731, Benjamin Banneker was born in Ellicott's Mills, Maryland. He was the descendent of slaves, however, Banneker was born a freeman.

Benjamin Banneker was educated by Quakers, however, most of his education was self-taught. Banneker was a self-educated scientist, astronomer, inventor, writer, and antislavery publicist. He built one of the first watches made in America, a wooden pocket watch in 1753. 

Twenty years after he made the first watch, Banneker began making astronomical calculations that enabled him to successfully forecast a 1789 solar eclipse. His estimate made well in advance of the celestial event, contradicted predictions of better-known mathematicians and astronomers.

Banneker is best known for his six annual Farmers' Almanacs published between 1792 and 1797. In his free time, Banneker began compiling the Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia Almanac and Ephemeris. The almanacs included information on medicines and medical treatment, and listed tides, astronomical information, and eclipses, all calculated by Banneker himself.

On August 19 1791, Banneker sent a copy of his first almanac to secretary of state Thomas Jefferson. In an enclosed letter, he questioned the slaveholder's sincerity as a "friend to liberty." He urged Jefferson to help get rid of "absurd and false ideas" that one race is superior to another.

Click here to read the text of his letter to Thomas Jefferson. 

He passed away on October 25, 1806. He was one of the first African Americans to gain distinction in science.

HUSL Today Salutes Benjamin Banneker!!! 

Sidenote: He gets an extra special hip hip hooray because he shares a birthday with my mother. Hi Mommy! *waves* Speaking of birthdays, today is a celebration of life for one of my favorite girls T-Flu. Happy Birthday!!

Have a great weekend folks!