DESCENT/CELEBRATING BLACK WOMEN - CCACH
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AFROQUIZ 2019 - CELEBRATING
WOMEN OF AFRICAN
DESCENT/CELEBRATING BLACK
WOMEN
13-15 AGE GROUP
This year, CCACH wanted to celebrate some of the exemplary women of African Heritage who have
made wonderful contributions to not only the African continent, but to the cities and countries that
these women call home.
We hope that you are inspired by some, if not all of these heroines as you read through your material;
and that their stories help you to write your own stories.
Enjoy!
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 1
HIDDEN FIGURES: Women in STEM
The movie Hidden Figures (2016) brought to our attention the determination and resilience of three
African-American women who sought to excel as mathematicians for NASA. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy
Vaughan and Mary Jackson overcame many obstacles while working at NASA. The film, which is based
on the non-fiction book, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black
Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, invites us to learn
about these women whose stories were not in the forefront
of history.
In this category, we are going to zoom into the life and career
of Mary Winston Jackson, who after demonstrating hard
work and determination towards her career, became the first
African-American engineer at NASA. Although she started out
as a mathematician, she developed a love for engineering
when she took on an assignment as an assistant to the senior
aeronautical research engineer Kazimierz Czarnecki. He was
instrumental in
providing Mary Quick Facts about Mary Winston Jackson
with
• She was born on April 9, 1921
encouragement
so that she • She passed away on February 11,
could become an engineer. Before being recruited as a 2005 at 83 years old.
human “computer” by the National Advisory Committee • She was born and raised in
for Aeronautics (NACA), in 1951, Jackson had many other Hampton, Virginia, USA.
jobs after her graduation. She taught mathematics and Education
tutored high school and college students. She was also a
bookkeeper, a receptionist and an office clerk. • George P. Phenix Training School
• In 1942, she graduated from the
Mary’s determination
Hampton Institute with a BSc in
In order for Ms. Jackson to become an engineer, she had to mathematics and Physical Science
take some graduate courses in math and physics. However,
Other achievements
the only place that offered them was the all-white campus
of the University of Virginia that was in Hampton. Being a • She authored or co-authored 12
black woman, she was not allowed to attend these night technical papers for both NACA and
program courses; but because this was something she NASA.
really wanted, Mary petitioned the city of Hampton to let • She was a Girl Scout leader for over
her take the courses. She won the petition and was able to 30 years.
complete the needed courses; after which, she was • In her last few years at NASA she
promoted to aerospace engineer in 1958. worked to help women and other
minorities to also excel at NASA.
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 2
Human “computers”?
In the same year of her promotion, NACA became: National
This was the title given to a Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); and she
group of NASA employees continued to excel here for many years. Ms. Jackson worked in
(mostly made up of women), the following division there:
who were responsible for
manually calculating the • the Compressibility Research Division,
complex equations which were • Full-Scale Research Division,
instrumental into getting • High-Speed Aerodynamics Division, and
astronauts into space. • the Subsonic-Transonic Aerodynamics Division
In 1935, NASA hired 5 women By the time she had been working at NASA for 34 years, she had
who were the first pool of achieved the most senior position in the engineering
computers. These women were department. At this time, she decided to take a demotion and
white women, and they were work in the Equal Opportunity Specialist Field as a manager.
only joined by African-American Here, she helped to make changes and shed much needed light
women in 1941, after President on women and other minorities who were accomplished in their
Franklin Roosevelt issued fields. She held the titles of Federal Women’s Program Manager
Executive Order 8802. and the Affirmative Action Program Manager. She influenced
the careers of many women who were in the science,
The order banned
mathematics, and engineering positions at NASA.
"discrimination in the
employment of workers in After a long and very successful career, Mary Jackson retired
defense industries or from NASA in 1985.
government because of race,
creed, color, or national origin”.
Thus giving room to the hiring of
black women, even though they
were segregated from the white
women.
African-American women were
confined to the West section of
the Langley Campus where the
NASA offices were. They were
known as the “West computers”
and paid significantly less than
their white counterparts.
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 3WOMEN WARRIORS
Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai was a warrior for sustainable
development through democracy and human rights with a
particular interest in women’s rights. This gave her the title of a
political and environmental activist. Dr. Maathai, was the first
women in East and Central Africa to receive a doctorate degree
(Ph.D.). This degree was obtained in 1971 at the University of
Nairobi, in Kenya. A few years later, in 1976, Maathai would
become the first woman to be the chair of a University
department in the region.
Early life
The daughter of a tenant farmer, Wangari started primary school at the age of eight years old. Sending
girls to school was not very common in those days. However, she was an excellent student and would
continue on with high school. In 1960, she received a scholarship to go study in the USA. Studying in the
United Stated during the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements, Dr. Maathai would later use the
inspiration she gained from these movements to be an activist
QUICK FACTS in her home country.
Birth date: April 1, 1940 The fight for sustainable development in Kenya
Place of Birth: Nyeri, Kenya
Dr. Maathai saw that the development that was happening in
Deceased: September 25, 2011
her country was leading to the degradation and devastation of
Kenya’s forests and land. She wanted to find a way to fix the
Education
negative impacts that development had on the environment.
Ph.D., Anatomy, University of Nairobi
In 1977, she launched the Green Belt Movement. Wangari
(1971)
realized that the depletion and degradation of the forests and
land, led to a reduction in the resources that were available for
M.S., Biological Sciences, University of
Kenyan women to support themselves. Thus her movement
Pittsburgh, USA (1966)
aimed to not only mitigate for the loss of trees, but it also
provided Kenyan women with skills and resources to sustain
B.S., Biology, Mount St. Scholastica
themselves.
College, USA (1964)
The movement was and continues to be successful. It has
Occupations resulted in the planting of over 30 million trees in Kenya, and
Environmental Activists, women’s has provided in excess of 30 thousand Kenyan women with
rights activist, government official, new skills and opportunities.
University professor.
In order to thoroughly fight for sustainable development,
Maathai had to challenge her government on some of its
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 4development plans. Her challenges were not always met with enthusiasm; and on more than one
occasion, this resulted in her being beaten and/or arrested. In 1989, she led a protest against the
construction of a skyscraper in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park. Her stance led to her drawing international
attention as well as the project being dropped. This area of the park is now called “Freedom Corner”.
Wangari continued to be very outspoken against the government until that government lost power in
2002. In that same year, even after some setbacks, she earned a seat in Kenya’s parliament; and was
soon appointed as assistant Minister of environment, natural resources and wildlife.
Her Achievements and Awards
Dr. Maathai’s activism earned her great international acclaim; and one of the greatest honours came in
2004, when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development,
democracy and peace”. She has received many more awards both before and after her Nobel.
Please follow the link below and look through the Awards section of the webpage to find the year in
which she received the awards in the boxes below. Some questions could come from this information so
be sure to answer the questions.
http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography
International Women’s Hall of Fame,
The Nelson Mandela Award for Health
International Women’s Forum
& Human Rights, South Africa
Leadership Foundation, USA
--------------------------
-------------------------------
6th in 100 Greatest Eco-Heroes of All Time,
The Environment Agency, UK
-----------------------------
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 5WOMEN IN SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
In this section we will get to know Margaret Alphonsi, a British sports woman who has been given the
title the “First Lady” of English Women’s Rugby.
Alphonsi was born in Lewisham, South London, to Nigerian
PROFILE parents. She was born with a clubbed foot which made it
difficult for her to play any sport, but this is something that
she had to overcome. Fortunately, she was able to have an
operation when she was a child and this set back made her a
very determined person.
She was introduced to rugby by her Physical Education
teacher when she was 14 years old and she has excelled at it
ever since. With a short international career span of 8 years
(2006-2014), Margaret, known as Maggie, helped the
England women’s team win seven consecutive Six Nations
titles; capping it off with the Women’s Rugby World Cup win
in 2014. Two years after the World cup win, she became the
first woman to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of
Fame (November 2016).
TEAM: England Alphonsi has used rugby as her platform to bring about
change and inspire women in sports to hone their skills and
CLUB TEAM: Saracens be dedicated to their sport of choice. Before the 2014 World
Cup, she became an Athlete Mentor for the Youth Sport
POSITION: Back Row (flanker)
Trust (YST); and this work as well as some work in public
NICKNAME: Maggie the Machine speaking and education led to her physical, mental, and
emotional readiness for the game.
STATS: 28 tries in 74 games for England
Maggie values her education just as much as she values the
AWARDS: Rugby Writers’ Pat Marshall sport of rugby. She boasts the following academic
Award (2011). She became the first female qualifications and degrees:
recipient of this prestigious award.
• BTEC National Diploma in Leisure studies at Hertford
• World Player of the Year Regional College
• Member of the British Order (MBE) • BSc in Sports & Exercise at De Montfort University
for services to sport.(2012) • An MSc in Sports & Exercise at Roehampton
University
• She was also given an Honorary Doctor of Arts from
the University of Bedfordshire.
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 6After retirement from the sport, she became the first former female rugby player to commentate on
men’s international rugby in the 2015 Rugby World Cup; where she was named as one of the official
ambassadors for the competition.
“After the tournament, it cemented my desire to maximise the platform I had. My goals
were to continue being a good pundit and to show, regardless of upbringing and
inclination, that anyone could play the sport. Most of all, I was part of a team again in the
comm box, and one that was contributing positively”
Follow the link to the video of this iconic sports woman as she talks about her career as a rugby player.
Some questions may come from content in the video.
https://youtu.be/OOig2KvXuUU
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 7CANADIANA “Black Girl Magic in the
True, North Strong and Free”
Canada is home to many exemplary black women who have played instrumental roles in furthering the
progress of not only women in the black community, but also in the larger community of their provinces,
Country and the world. In this section you will learn how one such woman has played this role in her
capacity not only as a business woman, but most recently as a politician.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes is a Liberal
Member of Parliament for the constituency of
Whitby in the province of Ontario. She was
elected into this position in February 2015
during that years federal elections.
Quick Facts
• Birthdate: June 24, 1974
• Place of birth: Grenada
• Education:
o BSc in Biology from the
University of Toronto. Before Parliament Hill
o MBA in healthcare
management from the After she had achieved her Biology degree, Celina found
University of Phoenix. herself working as a forklift operator while her husband,
o She also holds an Vidal Chavannes, taught in a school. After a while, she
executive MBA. decided to go back to her Alma mater and pursue a
research course. As a result of this course and an
encouraging professor, Caesar- Chavannes went further
with the course and pursued her MBA.
A few years after attaining her MBA, she and her husband faced some hardship; and during this time she
sent out 700 résumés, however, despite being called for some interviews, she was not able to secure a
job. The feedback she received from some of these potential employers was that she was over-qualified
for the positions she was applying for. She did not let her misfortune deter her; instead, she decided to
start her own business: a health care- based Research Management Company. She worked hard and
within a year, it was off the ground and the Chavannes’ were able to move out of the apartment they
had been renting and move into their own home. The business was international and she consulted with
people from all walks of life. Ms. Caesar-Chavannes was also a lecturer, and she concentrated on
educating people on the importance and necessity to include marginalized populations in clinical
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 8research. She excelled at her business to the end of being named Business woman of the year in 2012 by
the Toronto Region Board of Trade.
The road to Parliament Hill
In 2013, Celina was looking for a change and she began her second MBA. This is also the year that her
daughters encouraged her to enter into the field of politics. She listened. A month after joining the
liberal party in February of 2014, she received an e-mail from the party which asked women to run. She
wanted to “contribute to the building of Canada” as the e-mail said; and she obliged her party and her
daughters in October of that year when she was the liberal candidate for Whitby-Oshawa in the 2014
by-elections which resulted from the death of Minister Jim Flaherty. Ms. Caesar-Chavannes did not win
in 2015, but she did in the 2016 general elections where she was the liberal candidate for the newly
created Whitby riding.
Celina, the Member of Parliament
Caesar-Chavannes uses her platform to not only represent her constituents at the Parliament Hill, but
she also uses it as a stage to talk about racial issues and bring awareness to mental health. She has
communicated that she herself was diagnosed with depression in 2015 and she does not shy away from
speaking about the difficulties that she endured as a result of this disease.
I believe in the power of storytelling and owning your story. Owning my depression is my
therapy. Talking about it, in my opinion, gives others permission to talk about mental
health as well.
Celina Caesar-Chavannes
September 18, 2016
Another topic she does not shy away from is that of racial discrimination that she has faced even as a
member of parliament; and speaking up for people, specifically women who are non-Caucasian. Follow
the links to the two videos below where she speaks to each of the above topics. Note that some of the
questions might come from these videos.
https://youtu.be/KoKZHGDd6qk
https://youtu.be/ecelU09dDF0
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 9REFERENCES
1. https://www.biography.com/people/wangari-maathai-13704918
2. http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/biography
3. https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/hidden-figures
4. https://www.scientificwomen.net/women/jackson-mary-104
5. https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a24429/hidden-figures-real-story-nasa-
women-computers/
6. https://www.revolvy.com/page/Celina-Caesar%252DChavannes
7. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/mp-celina-caesar-chavanness-path-to-
ottawa-involved-luck-and-a-lot-of-grit/article29283327/
8. https://www.world.rugby/halloffame/inductees/31390
9. https://www.planetrugby.com/news/life-after-rugby-maggie-alphonsi/
10. http://www.saracensamateurrugby.com/teams/29703/player/maggie-alphonsi-mbe-1084648
11. http://maggiealphonsi.co.uk/about-maggie/
AfroQuiz 2019 – 13-15 Study Materials 10You can also read
