What if There Were No Black People in the World

This is a story of a little boy named Michael, who woke up one morning and asked his mother, "Mom, what if there were no Black people in the world?"

Well, his mother thought about that for a moment, and then said, "Son, follow me around today and let's just see what it would be like if there were no Black people in the world."  Mom said, "now go got dressed and we will get started."

Michael ran to his room to put on his clothes, and shoes. His mother took one look at him and said, “Michael, where are your shoes, and those clothes are all wrinkled, son. I must iron them.” But when she reached for the ironing board, it was no longer there. You see, Sarah Boone, a black woman, invented the ironing board and Jan E. Matzwlinger, a black man, invented the shoe-lacing machine.  "Oh well," she said, "please go and do something with your hair."

Michael ran to the room to comb his hair, but the comb was not there.  You see, Walter Sammons, a black man, invented the comb.  

Michael decided to just brush his hair, but the brush was gone.  You see Lydia O. Newman, a black female, invented the brush.

Well, this was a sight, no shoes, wrinkled clothes, hair a mess, even Mom's hair, without the hair care inventions of Madam C. J. Walker, well you get the picture.

Mom told Michael, "let's do our chores around the house and then take a trip to the grocery store." Michael's job was to sweep the floor.  He swept and swept and swept.  When he reached for the dustpan, it was not there.  You see, Lloyd P. Ray, a black man, invented the dustpan.  So he swept his pile of dirt over in the corner and left it there.  He then decided to mop the floor, but the mop was gone.  You see, Thomas W. Stewart invented the mop.

Michael yelled to this Mom, "Mom, I' m not having any luck."  "Well son," she said, "let me finish washing these clothes and we will prepare a list for the grocery store."  When the wash finished, she went to place the clothes in the dryer, but it was not there.  You see, George T. Sammon, a black man, invented the clothes dryer.

Mom asked Michael to go get a pencil and some paper to prepare their list for the market.  So Michael ran for the paper and pencil but noticed the pencil lead was broken.  Well, he was out luck because Hon Love, a black man, invented the pencil sharpener.  Mom reached for a pen, but it was not there because William Purvis, a black man, invented the fountain pen.

They made their way over to the car and found that it just wouldn't go.  You see, Richard Spikes, a black man, invented the automatic gearshift and Joseph Gammel invented the supercharger system.  They noticed that a few cars that were moving were running into each other and having wrecks because there were no traffic signals.  You see, Garrett A. Margan, a black man, invented the traffic light.

Well, it was getting late, so they walked to the market, 

got their groceries and returned home. Just when they were about to put away the milk, eggs and butter, they noticed the refrigerator was gone.  You see, Hon Standard, a black man, invented the refrigerator.  So the just left the "FOOD" on the counter.

By this time, Mike noticed he was getting mighty cold.  Mom went to turn up the heat, and what do you know.  Alice Parker, a black female, invented the heating furnace.  Even in the summertime they would have been out of luck because Frederick Jones, a black man, invented the air conditioner.

It was almost time for Mike's father to arrive home.  He usually takes the bus.  But there was no bus because its precursor was the electric trolley, invented by another black man, Elbert R. Robinson.

He usually takes the elevator from his office on the 20th floor, but there was no elevator because Alexander Miles, a black man, invented the elevator.

He usually dropped off the office mail at a nearby mailbox, but it was no longer there because Philip Downing, a black man, invented the letter drop mailbox and William Barry invented the postmarking and canceling machine.

Mike and his mother sat at the kitchen table with their head in their hands.  When the father arrived he asked, "Why are you sitting in the dark?"  Why?  Because Lewis Howard Latimer, a black man, invented the filament within the light bulb.

Mike quickly learned what it would be like if there were no black people in the world.  Not to mention if he were ever sick and needed blood.  Charles Drew, a black scientist, found a way to preserve and store blood, which led to his starting the world's first blood bank.

"People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."