Virtual Field Trip | Black History Month

0:02 - This is a National Geographic Virtual Field Trip. Today we explore black history. - Cheers. - From the Arctic, to the moon. - [Man] Lift off, the clock has started. - To our own backyards. Welcome to National Geographic Headquarters in Washington, DC. My name is Krista Strahan, and I am your tour guide on this virtual field trip. February is Black History Month and has been since 1976 when it was first observed. This month long celebration is an opportunity to reflect on the important contributions and perseverance of black people like Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela,

0:51 Marian Anderson, or my high school English teacher, hi Ms. Matthews. It's a time to look into the history books, but it can also be a time to look around you and your neighborhood, your classrooms, your own family, even in the White House to recognize the dynamic stories of black people throughout history up until today. For me, black history month is when I make a conscious effort to honor the generations of black people who pushed and sacrificed so that I can stand here with you on this stage and share what I'm most passionate about, exploration.

1:37 Today some incredible black explorers will teach us how we too can be explorers impacting the world right here at home. To start, let's go back in time when a local hero made his mark a bit further north from here. When we think polar exploration, the names Ernest Shackleton, Edmund Hillary, and Robert Peary may come to mind. But another man, African-American Explorer Matthew Henson, was essential to Arctic discovery and for decades nearly forgotten. Born in 1866, only a year after the end of the Civil War,

2:27 Henson grew up in Maryland. When he was 13 years old, he left home and joined a ship crew as a cabin boy. Traveling the world, he learned to read and write. I bet some of you out there are 13 years old. Imagine leaving your family to go operate a boat in the ocean. In 1887, Henson was working as a store clerk in Washington, D.C. Hey DC, that's where we are right now. That's also where he met the explorer named Robert Peary Peary hired Henson as his personal assistant, and the two men began a working relationship lasting more than two decades and half a dozen voyages.

3:15 Henson proved invaluable as an expert dog sledder, hunter, craftsman, and navigator, but attempting the North Pole required a deeper understanding of the Arctic. Four Inuit guides joined the team. Ooqueah, Oota, Seegloo, and Egingwah. As Inuit, their ancestors had lived in the Arctic for thousands of years, so their intel was critical to the mission. Henson even learned how to speak Inuit to communicate with them. The explorers made several attempts to reach the North Pole before their final try in 1909.

4:00 The team pushed on and made it farther than anyone else had before. Henson even said, "I think I'm the first man "to sit on top of the world." Though there were doubts the team actually made it all the way, Robert Peary returned to Washington to great fanfare and celebration. He was recognized for his achievements throughout his life and received the first ever Hubbard Medal, National Geographic's highest honor. Matthew Henson's contributions, however, were mostly overlooked. He moved to New York City where he worked as an official in the U.S. Customs House,

4:46 and passed away in 1955. 45 years later in the year 2000, National Geographic finally gave Matthew Henson the recognition he so deserved. - We're fortunate to have the closest living relative to Matthew Henson, a native of Washington, D.C., here with us with us today to receive the Hubbard Medal. - Almost a century after Robert Peary was given the Hubbard Medal, Henson was awarded the same honor. Welcome back from the Arctic. Now it's time for a pop quiz. Just kidding, there's no test here. We're on a field trip, but I am curious what you thought

5:33 and what else you know about Matthew Henson's story. Take a look at the questions on the screen. Now we know that Matthew Henson and Robert Peary explored the Arctic over and over again. How many years did they spend trying to reach the North Pole? 8, 18, 28, or 38 years? (upbeat music) The team spent 18 years trying to reach the North Pole.

6:21 It was so difficult and dangerous, the team just had to keep turning back. On one of their attempts, Robert Peary got frostbite and lost almost all of his toes. Question number two, which of these photos shows the North Pole, A, B, C, or D? (upbeat music) Okay, it isn't B because penguins don't live at the North Pole.

7:06 It's not C because there are no mountains at the North Pole. And A is actually a photo of really high cliffs off the coast of Antarctica. That means our answer is D, which is really flat. You see the North Pole is technically in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, and giant slabs of sea ice float around up there, which leads me to our last question of this round. Before snowmobiles were invented, people had to travel by dog sled to get to the North Pole. How many dogs did Peary and Henson bring? 12, 67, 170, or 246? (upbeat music)

8:07 When the team first headed north, they brought 246 dogs. That means they had to feed 246 dogs, which would be a ton of supplies. But it also sounds like a lot of fun. As we learned in that story, revisiting history and documenting it accurately is critical. Our next Explorer, Candacy Taylor, is trying to do just that. She's creating a map of historically black businesses in the United States. The data for her project comes from something called The Green Book.

8:54 - Most of us have good hearts and most people want everybody to have a fair and equal life in this country. But our history is so close to us, it's so important that we honor this history, but also learn from it. My name is Candacy Taylor. I'm a cultural documentarian, working on a project based on The Green Book, which was a travel guide that was published for black people during the Jim Crow era. There were tools that you had to use to stay safe and stay alive. By 1962, it was the Bible of black travel. It's really critical to understand what these places look like today and how racism has shaped

9:40 how we move, where we stay, and how we live. Especially as black people through this country, I'm creating an interactive map that shows, not only Green Book sites, but socioeconomic statistics like lead poisoning or educational disparities or income disparities or private prisons. The map is such a critical tool in telling this story because there were about 10,000 businesses listed in The Green Book and I've scouted over 4,000 sites. I've estimated that about 80% of the buildings have been just erased from the landscape and less than 3% are still operating. But L.A. has either the largest or the second largest number

10:28 that are still standing. The Dunbar was built by a man who was a black dentist. He was sick of being thrown out of hotels. So he thought, well, I'll just build my own. Hello, Edgar. - How are you, welcome to the Dunbar. This is it. - [Candacy] The Dunbar was called the best of the best. - [Edgar] This is a piece of history. - You can see this quote here. It was a hotel, a jewel done with loving hands. Funny that a hotel so impressed, but it was so unexpected, so startling, so beautiful, WEB Dubois. Incredible. - That's right. [Edgar] It is incredible. This was the hub of L.A. black culture back in the thirties and forties. This was the place to be.

11:14 - [Candacy] When I get to a Green Book site, first of all, I want to see if it's still there. I'll try and find the owner. And then I go and I do interviews. I've interviewed a man who worked in a Green Book site in Montgomery, Alabama called the Ben Moore Hotel. He was Martin Luther King's barber. At that time, the strategy for the Montgomery bus boycott was happening and so all those conversations with Thurgood Marshall and all of these people who were on the front lines of this history were sitting in that barbershop. So it's a real honor, not just that the buildings are here, but to try and capture the stories behind them. So this Green Book map that I'm developing is including both historical and current data regarding race,

11:59 mobility, and access to equality. Being able to visualize data really helps tell the story of not just the Green Book, but of our current situation with race and class in America today. Digital data can just change our lives. It's important that we learn the real history of what the Green Book was, how it really transformed access and mobility for a race of people. It gave them the strength to persevere in spite of all the challenges. This guide made it possible for them to move forward anyway. It was extremely powerful.

12:45 - Absolutely powerful. Candacy Taylor is a true Green Book expert and lucky for us, she's here to answer our questions. Hi, Candacy, welcome. - Hi, nice to be here. So we have a few questions here for you. I'll just jump right on in. Travel, in the 1950s and '60s, it looked a lot different than it does today. Why was a travel guide necessary and how did a person use it? - The country was very different. There were things called sundown towns throughout the country, and they were all white communities and they were all white on purpose. So people who live there knew the deal, but if you were driving in from a different part

13:30 of the country how would you know? You know, there was no Twitter, there was no internet. The Green Book was so critical because it was a travel guide that showed them exactly the communities where there were black-owned businesses, and there were places where they could go and have fun and relax and not worry about the racism that they might encounter. - And you've spoken about Green Book sites in L.A., which we know there are a lot there. Can you tell us about any Green Book places in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia that maybe the students can visit? - Yes, there were about 175 Green Book sites in Washington D.C. So it was a nice, healthy number. A lot of cities had between 80 and a hundred.

14:16 Harlem for instance, had over 450 because that's where the Green Book was born. That's where the creator, Victor Green, was from. There was a small article about Washington D.C. in the Green Book. So you can, you know, and it had the usual suspects like all the common tourist sites like the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial and the Corcoran Gallery was in there, and Union Station was in there. So there's a lot of the traditional tourist sites that you would see, but the manager Hamilton Hotel on 14th street was listed in the Green Book. So that's a place that you can actually go that was a business. The Green Book really did have options

15:02 for all classes, you know, of black folks. - Yeah and the Hamilton hotel is very close to where we sit today near headquarters in Washington, D.C. And you mentioned this a little, but why is it that most Green Book sites are no longer around? - Oh, there were several reasons. But one of the main factors is there was something called urban renewal where literally the government by eminent domain just came in and said, you know, we're going to put freeways through your community. That was a loss of a lot of Green Book sites. When I'm out scouting, I'll find maybe where 20 Green Book sites once were, it's just replaced with a freeway. - And Candacy, can the students use your Green Book map?

15:48 - Yes, yes. The StoryMap that I created for National Geographic is exciting because it's so much data, but it very clearly and simply outlines the last hundred years in terms of black social mobility and physical mobility. It briefly explains what the Green Book is, shows where the Green Book sites were, and shows you where the sundown towns were to give you an example of why it was so challenging for black folks to travel. You can go in and see where you live and zoom in and see maybe what sundown towns were near you that you maybe, maybe you grew up in a sundown town and didn't know it, you know? Or that was a formerly a sundown town. - Fantastic, so Candacy, earlier we learned

16:36 about Matthew Henson who wasn't really recognized for exploring the Arctic until almost a hundred years later when National Geographic honored him with a medal. Why do you think it's important that we correct history in this way? - Well, again because history is something that determines our present and our future. And if we don't get it right, then moving forward we make mistakes. - Thank you so much, Candacy. Could you introduce our next explorer? - Yes, I'd be happy to. The woman in this next video is a legend. Her brilliant mind help put John Glenn into orbit and Neil Armstrong on the moon.

17:25 - I liked what I was doing. I like work. But little did I think it would go this far. - Katherine Johnson. - Katherine G. Johnson. - Katherine Johnson. - [Man] Liftoff. The clock has started. - Mathematics is the basis of the whole thing. - You graduated from high school at 14, college at 18. Everybody knew you had a big ol' brain on you by that time. - But I didn't know it. - [Interviewer] But you didn't know it. - Math. You're either right or you're wrong. That, I liked about it.

18:10 - She always loved numbers. The professor said, "I think you'd make a good math researcher." She said, "Well, what's that?" He said, "Well, that's for you to find out." That was her dream. - Katherine Johnson found her way to Hampton, Virginia, and there is NASA. - NASA was hiring black mathematicians, just opened it up to women. I was finally going to find out what a research mathematician did. - Those women took a seat and that changed our country. - Katherine Johnson was a trailblazer. She became what was known then as a computer

18:57 or a calculator or a human computer. - Courage is just one of many words that describe this woman. Being the first woman in a room of all white men in a time when that was not popular. The courage to even walk in that room with your head held high, I don't think many people could do that. - When I think about my experiences and those of Katherine Johnson, I am completely in awe. She overcame so much more overt prejudice, so many more challenges than I was ever faced with. - In 1957, when the Russians launched the Sputnik satellite.

19:45 the Space Race then became her job. Calculating trajectories for Mercury missions and Project Apollo. - Katherine Johnson was so good at what she did, they needed her as an engineer. - When they had briefings, I asked permission to go. And they said, "well, the girls don't usually go." And I said, "well, is there a law?" I began attending the briefings, and gradually I did more. - [Man] The eagle has landed. - When they were leaving the moon, going back, that was the part that I worried about. They should be exactly correct on that. And I was sitting there hoping I'm right too.

20:37 - Without mathematicians, those great moments wouldn't have happened. - In her 33 years at NASA, Katherine was a pioneer who broke the barriers of race and gender. Everyone can excel in math and science and reach for the stars. - Katherine often remarked that even though there were medals and awards and so many things that she received, and honors, her favorite thing to receive were letters from children. - Katherine Johnson has taught me not to let anyone bring me down and that women are capable of doing anything they want to do. - Katherine Johnson has taught me to believe in myself and my capabilities. - Katherine Johnson was an amazing African-American female

21:23 mathematician who changed the world. - She made sure, during and after her career, to advocate for change to make sure people wouldn't face the same barriers she did. - Now younger versions of myself don't have to wait until they're an adult to finally hear about her, to let her be a role model in their lives today. (cheering) - My problem was to answer questions, and I did that to the best of my ability at all times. And it was a joy. (soft music)

22:19 - Wow, so, much like Matthew Henson, Katherine Johnson wasn't really recognized until long after she'd done the work. Just in 2020, National Geographic awarded her the Hubbard Medal, that same prestigious honor that both Peary and Henson had won. Now let's answer a few more questions. Think about this. Katherine calculated orbital trajectories like if Apollo 11 leaves earth at 9:30 AM, where will the moon be by the time the astronauts get there? My question is what field of math did Katherine Johnson use to make her calculations? Geometry, algebra, calculus, or all of the above?

23:07 (upbeat music) The answer is all of the above, and more. When Katherine started calculating these trajectories, humans had never been in space before, the math didn't exist. She pulled together everything she knew to solve the problems and invent new equations. Next question. The photo on screen is of the first black female astronaut to go into space, what is her name? Yvonne Cagle, Mary Jackson, Mae Jemison, or Dorothy Vaughn.

23:57 (upbeat music) Her name is Mae Jemison. She launched into space in 1992, despite having a fear of heights. That's pretty brave. Okay, let's test your math skills on this next one. Katherine was born in August of 1918, and passed away in February of 2020. How old was she when she died? 104, 102, 101, or 98?

24:46 (upbeat music) Katherine lived to be 101 years old. She was alive during both World Wars, gained the right to vote during her lifetime, saw a black man, Barack Obama, become president, and Mae Jemison who we just talked about, go into space. With ongoing persistence, that's how much the world can change in just one person's lifetime.

25:31 Our next Explorer is an anthropologist, which means she studies humans, their culture, their environment, and their behavior. She's also a filmmaker. Let's meet Asha. - Culture is like the fabric of human society. For me, a compelling story has a lot of culture in it and has something important to say about our world and our environment. My name is Asha Stewart. I am a National Geographic Explorer. I realized early on that through photography

26:16 and filmmaking, I could connect with different people and cultures around the world. The current story I'm working on is documenting African-American communities across the Southern United States who are combating climate change and environmental issues in their communities. The Gullah Geechee people are an African diaspora community that came during the slave trade. They were able to get from slavery earlier than other African-American communities across the United States. Through their language, food, music, they've been able to maintain African heritage more so than other African-American communities

27:02 in the United States. The thing I love about Gullah Geechee culture is that like, I just went shopping just for some simple vegetables and like now we're taking shots of quail eggs. And you're teaching me something that I had no idea about. Cheers. I think students should become storytellers because our world is changing so fast. The voice of the youth is the future of our world, and it's important to listen to them. The biggest thing I can tell any storyteller is to be yourself, be true to the story, and be genuine.

27:49 By being yourself, the whole world will open up to you. - So Asha just empowered all of you to be storytellers, and it starts with you being exactly who you are. So no excuses. Asha, welcome to your first Virtual Field Trip. How do you feel? Where are you right now? - I'm happy to be here. Right now, I'm in Atlanta, Georgia. - Fantastic, fantastic. So let's get started. We have a lot of students tuned in today. Being a storyteller, how does that go hand in hand with being an Explorer? - Oh, I mean, it's definitely everything to me. I think that having the opportunity to go places that a lot of people aren't given the opportunity to go to,

28:36 I feel like for me, it's important to bear witness to the places and to the people that I meet, and to bring that back and share it with the world because storytelling can impact so many people. It can impact people over in Asia, Africa. It can impact people right in my own neighborhood. I think storytelling is that bridge. And so as an Explorer, I take great pride in being able to go to these places and have people share their stories with me so I can share it with the world. - In your opinion, Asha, why is it important to collaborate with the people in your stories instead of, say, just going in and writing what you see? - I think that as a documentary filmmaker, a lot of times,

29:21 and also as an anthropologist, a lot of times I'm going into a new place where I know some things, but I don't know everything. And so I think for me, it's important to when I first go is to listen and then to learn and then be able to bring these creative techniques that I have, and collaborate with the community to tell a story that's unique. And to tell a story that's also truthful because I think when you tell the truth, it creates a bigger impact. - Fantastic, so in this particular Virtual Field Trip, we're celebrating Black History Month. As a black female explorer, what are you considering most when it comes to telling a story from your perspective? - Oh, there's so much. I think that I'm considering the people that came before me.

30:10 You know, there are so many storytellers who witnessed what was happening to black people, but never got to reflect that reality. And so now today in 2021, I get a chance to be a part of that. And so I take great pride in that. And I take great pride in to telling stories of people from marginalized communities who go through different successes or trials and tribulations, but never get the recognition for that. And so I like to be that bridge for people who look just like me. - Well, we're so excited for the work you do and for you sharing that perspective with us. So thank you. So Asha, you are in Atlanta now, but you were in D.C. filming during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

30:55 Can you talk to us a little bit about that experience? - Yes, so to start, I was shooting for National Geographic and when they called me, I said "yes, of course, I'll go." As I was wandering through the crowd, I saw this man from the corner of my eye and he was standing there with overalls on and he looked like some of the people in rural Georgia who I've met before, and I immediately was just drawn to him. And when I went up to him, we just looked at each other. And it was the look, the unspoken language that I knew he had a story, and he knew I was serious about telling that story. - It's hard to think about, I marched with King in Birmingham, Alabama in the '60s.

31:45 And I had an opportunity to come here. It's time for change, and I can see it's happening. It may not happen in my lifetime, but it's happening and it's gonna change. - And so in the first two minutes of me talking to him, he started crying and I started crying because we both knew how special that day was. And the fact that he had been there when Martin Luther King was there and that he was there in 2020 today, it was like a full circle moment for me, because I felt like he was a part of it, but he was also passing the baton. He was thinking that, okay, the world is going to be okay because you are not giving up. And I took great pride in meeting him.

32:32 - Well, that was such a powerful piece, certainly that clip. And I know there's more. How can the students watching do what you do? How can they tell their own stories? - I think it's important for students to start where they are. I think a lot of us right now are in quarantine, a lot of us are at our own homes. I think it's important to just document you and your family. You know, whether it be at home quarantining, whether it be in your own backyard, outside, or even going to the grocery store. I think 50 years from now, people are going to look back and ask and wonder, what was it like to be a part of quarantine? What were you doing on your daily basis? What may seem like a boring nuance of life, could be really interesting from a historical period.

33:17 - Fantastic, thank you so much, Asha. Thanks for being with us. That brings us to the end of this Virtual Field Trip. We've learned a lot about Black explorers throughout history, Matthew Henson and Katherine Johnson. Their impacts on Arctic and space exploration. And Asha Stewart and Candacy Taylor who are just two of many inspiring black National Geographic Explorers who use their work and unique perspectives to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Thank you for joining me today. I'm Krista Strahan, keep exploring. (upbeat music).