In honor of Black History Month, this issue of The Eagle Express features bios of prominent African Americans in the career fields our writers aim to pursue. Enjoy!
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By Jai’Quell Madison
 
As someone who has always liked being creative and enjoyed art, I found Interior Design to be a fun career path to follow. I can create unique designs in spaces with different colors, patterns, furniture, and decor. I find it fascinating that a room can have a completely new vibe, with the right transformation. Everyone has their own style, that is why I find it amazing with just how much you can customize a space. An African American designer I found interesting was Mikel Welch.
 
Mikel Welch is an Interior designer who focuses on luxurious designs with affordable prices. He does work in a variety of cities and does residential design services. Welch helps bring his clients’ visions to life, by curating a virtual design with the space they provided. He often uses a neutral color palette in his designs, while also making sure the room isn't boring. He uses textures, decor, plants, and paintings that bring the look together.
 
Welch grew up in Southfield, Michigan. When he realized from a young age, he had a passion for design. He now runs a design business in New York. He’s also a host on Quibi’s Murder House Flip, where he helps give tips and tricks on how to sophisticate a space. His designs have been featured on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, HGTV, and Good Morning America.
 
In 2020 Welch is known for being in the New York Times. He was featured in Agricultural Digest, Traditional Home, and many more. This is important because it allows other designers to get inspiration from his work. He's one of the many African American designers who are creating well-crafted designs. He’s an example of how you can follow your passions and make something of it.

By Alexis Beach
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I was interested in writing about Patricia Bath because I am currently taking a class in Vision Fabrication Care and could possibly pursue a career in the eye care field because there will always be a need for people in that career, as well as many patients in need. Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist and the first woman member in the Jules Stein Eye Institute.

She was born November 4th of 1942 in Harlem, New York. She passed away May 30th of 2019 from cancer. Rupert Bath, her father, was the first Black man to work for the New York Subway as a motorman. Gladys Bath, her mother, encouraged Patricia’s desire regarding science throughout her childhood. Patricia went to Charles Evans Hughes High School. She earned the National Science Foundation scholarship in which she then attended Yeshiva University. She pursued research on ties with cancer, stress, and nutrition. According to Wikipedia, “In this summer program, led by Rabbi Moses D. Tendler, Bath had studied the effects of streptomycin residue on bacteria. Through this, she was able to conclude that cancer, itself, was a catabolic disease and tumor growth was a symptom. She had also discovered a mathematical equation that could be used to predict cancer cell growth.” She also attended Hunter College and obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, then moved to Washington D.C., and attended Howard University College of Medicine. She eventually became an Ophthalmologist.

Patricia Bath also invented laserphaco which is a device that is used to perform cataract removal in patients’ eyes. She was the first to document the fact that Black patients had an alarmingly large rate of glaucoma, which causes blindness, compared to white patients and this was due to the lack of ophthalmic care for black people. According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, “In a seminal paper in 1976, she proposed the discipline of Community Ophthalmology, combining public health, community medicine, and clinical and daycare programs to test vision and screen threatening eye conditions in historically underserved communities.” Patricia was an extremely successful woman in the ophthalmologist field and just in general!

By Ewan Craddock

As someone who wants to get into cybersecurity, I decided to pick a person who was in an early form of the industry. William D. Coffee was born in Abingdon, Virginia in 1917. He was hired as a waiter by Arlington Hall School for Girls in 1940. When the Army acquired the building, he applied to a federal position and was hired as a janitor for the Signals Intelligence Service in 1942, he eventually became a messenger. In 1942. In 1944 he was promoted to cryptographic clerk and then later to civilian in charge of B-3-b. The goal of this unit was to break commercial codes from Europe, Asia, and South America.

In April 1945 the was expanded to break the codes of smaller nations. In 1946 he was transferred to the Intercept Control Branch as the supervisor. On April 3rd, 1946, William Coffee was awarded the Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service. He died in 1989 at the age of 72. The impact that William D Coffee made was immense on the US intelligence community as he broke down the racial barriers at the Army and NSA.

By Tiana Hodge 
 
Going into the medical field seemed challenging, until I had the opportunity to learn from a nurse. One thing that stuck out to me was the support that the nurses were willing to give. When I learned about all the opportunities that come with and from nursing, it was then that I continued working towards my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I have been able to see some examples and hands-on training of the expertise that goes into being in the medical field. Going into the medical field has always been my dream. Knowing that I can help save and make a difference in others’ lives is important to me.  
 
Mary Eliza Mahoney is America’s first African American woman to become a registered nurse. Born in the spring of 1845, in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Her life was full of discrimination, racism and opposition. At the age of ten she attended Phillips school which was one of the first integrated schools in Boston. She started working as a cook and maid at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. She was accepted into the New England nursing program in 1878 at the age of thirty-three. This hospital only allowed one African American and one Jewish student per year. 
 
Out of a class of forty, Mary and two white women were the only students to complete the nursing program. She worked as a private duty registered nurse for many years. She predominantly worked for white wealthy families. One of her goals was to change the perception of black nurses among patients and families. Back then most of the members of the American Nurses Association were white and were not welcoming. In 1908, she co-founded a more inclusive nurses association called the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses. This association aimed to support and congratulate the accomplishments of all outstanding nurses and eliminate racial discrimination in the nursing community. 
 
Mary retired in 1912, as the director of the Howard Colored Orphan Asylum in Kings Park, Long Island, New York. Where she helped black children and black elderly persons. During her retirement she actively participated in the advancement of civil rights in the US. She greatly supported the women's suffrage movement. After women's suffrage was achieved in the US, she was one of the first women in Boston, Massachusetts to register to vote. 
 
In 1936, the NACGN established the Mary Mahoney award. The NACGN merged with the American Nurses Association in 1951, the award was continued. The Mary Mahoney award is currently continued by the American Nurses Association in recognition of significant contributions in advancing equal opportunities in nursing for members of minority groups. In 1976, Mary Mahoney was highly recognized professionally, by being inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993. In April of 2006, Mary was officially recognized and honored by the United States Congress, in a House of Representatives Resolution, as being America’s first professionally trained African American Nurse.  
 

By Noah Silpe
 
As a musician, I am always influenced by different people.  From singers, drummers, keyboard players, to guitarists and producers.  Lots of musicians write books, write songs, and celebrate their fame.  Few are on the picket lines everyday protesting with people who don't have as much.  Tom Morello is an influence for many.  His guitar playing is amazing and technical.  His views on politics are nothing to mess with and his guitars tell stories.  One of my favorite quotes by Tom is, “I didn't trust teachers.  I didn't trust politicians.  I didn’t trust people on the evening news.  I trusted music.”  Here is a little about my hero.  
 
Tom Morello is a guitarist, author, protester, and songwriter.  He is a founding member of the Rage Against the Machine, Prophets of Rage, Audioslave and is the Nightwatchmen.  He is a political activist and is insanely talented.  Born on May 30th, 1964, Tom grew up in Libertyville, Illinois.  He was the only black kid in an all-white town.  He recalls coming home from school one day and a noose was hung in his garage.  At that point in his life, he knew he wanted to make a change.  Tom was heavily inspired by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Toni Iomie of Black Sabbath.  Led Zeppelin started heavier songs and Black Sabbath invented heavy metal, which Tom is most known for, being the DJ of Rage Against the Machine.  Rage’s music is heavy with political rap melodies over heavy and driving music.  Also being heavily influenced by the Hip-Hop scene, Tom decided to use his guitar like a turntable, learning how to scratch.  This is heard heavily on Rage songs such as Bulls on parade, Killing in the name of, and People of the sun.  
 
Rage’s music is heavily political.  From comparing the modern-day police force to the KKK, to talking about how the US government, media, and corporations can convince Americans they have their "freedom" while secretly blinding them to any other reality.  Tom graduated from Harvard with a bachelor’s in political science, heavily influencing Rage’s lyrics.  He was the only heavy metal musician at Harvard University.  He remembers sitting in his dorm room, looking at a poster of Randy Rhodes and practicing guitar for 8 hours a day.  This proved to be worth it because Rage has sold over 16 million albums worldwide and as of 2023, they are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  In Rage fashion, Tom was seen at the event holding a sign that read “cease fire,” talking about the war in Gaza happening right now.
 
On July 25th, 2022, Rage played a show in Buffalo New York.  I was very fortunate to go to the show.  This was the band's first tour in 11 years and lots of things happened in the world.  The main message of the show was “Abort the Supreme Court.”  The whole night was filled with amazing music and heavy political messages.  

By Ne-Yo Marrero
 
Growing up, I didn't see many successful people, especially African American people that I've grown up with or Hispanic people. This month as we all know is Black History Month. I would love to show an example of black excellence through someone who is in the field that I'm interested in.
 
I'm interested in starting my own clothing business and becoming as successful as I can for me and my future family. One story of success is Daymond John. “He is an African American businessman, investor, and television personality.  John was born February 23, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York City, but grew up in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens and attended Catholic school for seven years,” according to Wikipedia. John started a company called FUBU in his mother’s house in Queens. It is a clothing company and his mother taught him how to sew along the way and supported him and his business and allowed it to grow in her own home. “Wool ski hats with their tops tied off with fishing line were popular at the time, and John noticed them being sold for $20, which he considered overpriced. He went home and sewed about 90 hats with his next-door neighbor. They sold their homemade hats for $10 each on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and made $800 in a single day in 1992,” states Wikipedia.  John began to continue his work. He would help put things into his business in between his work-shift. Eventually he and his partners received $300,000 in retailer orders. His mother helped advertise him in the New York Times and since then he grew as a businessman. He was on Shark Tank where he helped other entrepreneurs start their business and become just as successful as him. If you want to read more about Daymond John, I recommend you go to his website daymondjohn.com. 

By Genesis Ortiz Otero
 
A bit of history about music production. The history of music production technology is traced back to the late 19th century when inventors began experimenting with ways to capture and reproduce sound. Some say the birth of music recording began in France with Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, who invented the phonautograph in 1857.
 
Dr. Dre is a 58-year-old man who is a music producer that grew up in Compton California. He was born February 18, 1965. Dre began his career as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru in 1985. Now Dr. Dre focuses on producing other artists, occasionally contributing vocals. 
 
I chose this person to represent black history month because he is the founder and CEO of Beats Electronics, Aftermath Entertainment, and the former president and co-founder of Death Row Records. One of Dr. Dre's biggest contributions to the hip hop genre is the creation of West Coast G-Funk, with its slow, heavy beats and synthesizer baseline.  If you want to learn more about Dr Dre there is this reliable source, you could visit:
https://www.biography.com/musicians/dr-dre

By Camieka Amons
 
Mental health advocates are people who work tirelessly every day to share stories and help those who are struggling. They take risks and show their vulnerability by telling their truth in hopes of encouraging someone else. Mental health is key to a healthy lifestyle and is important at every stage of life. Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being helps determine how we handle stress, make choices, and relate to others.
 
An advocate who helped the black community was Bebe Moore Campbell. Bebe Moore Campbell a well-known figure in literature and mental health advocacy. Her main focus was recognizing the stigmas minorities faced in mental health. Bebe Moore Campbell was an African American woman who grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In college, Bebe was the only African American girl in her dorm, and she began to feel isolated. She joined the Black Action Society. Years later, she wrote many books that focused on racial issues. She founded NAMI-Inglewood in a predominantly Black neighborhood to create a space that was safe for Black people to talk about mental health concerns.
 
Bebe also founded NAMI-Inglewood because her daughter struggled with mental health, and she couldn't support her because the system prevented her from getting her daughter help. In 2008, July was designated as the Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month by the U.S. House of Representatives. 
 

By Kymizza Maldonado
 
Chef Max Hardy, a dedicated chef wanting to change our country for the better. 
 
Max Hardy is a black chef. I found him to be very inspiring. On his website, he’s on a mission with an organization called One Chef Can 86 Hunger where they fight the hunger crisis in America, helping them teach others how to keep a healthy lifestyle. Chef Max has 2 restaurants, with both located in Detroit and his first one becoming one of the “Top 10 Best New Restaurants”. Also sells seasoning for all types of different meals. Hardy does events and does lots on the media to promote people to help with the organization to help others eat better and solve hunger in America.
 
As someone who wants to go into the culinary world and wants to help others, I loved how he wants to help people when it comes to hunger, something he enjoys doing while also helping communities. When I think of becoming a chef, I think about feeding people who need it, and food they can enjoy. I respect him for doing things to help his community, opening restaurants, while also being an entrepreneur. He is a hard worker and still works very hard to get rid of food insecurity and teach others to cook.