Black Lives Matter- research and awareness

Phillip B. Downing

It's your birthday.

You're sitting around with your family, eating cake, opening presents, or whatever else you enjoy doing to celebrate.

Then the mailman shows up. You run out the front door and retrieve mail from your mailbox. When you look at one of the envelopes, you see that it's a letter from your cousin. You smile. You just knew that it would come on time.

Better yet. You're standing in your driveway when the mailwoman puts something in your mailbox. You run to it. When you open it up, you find something life changing inside.

It's your college acceptance letter.

Or maybe it's a letter from a lost friend. A paycheck that's been long overdue. A package that a loved one sent you.

Let's backtrack a bit. What little invention made getting that letter you've been waiting for possible? If you guessed the mailbox, you would be correct.

Phillip Bell Downing got five patents in his life. Three of these being efficient railroad switches, an envelope sealer, desktop notepad (which is super cool). However, today we're talking about something that sits in your view more often than you realize. When you go to the post office, you'll see a big blue letter bin out in the parking lot. Phillip B. Downing was the one who first patented the mailbox. Downing also created the standard front yard mailbox that we all know. His creation has become a staple in society for receiving letters. At that time in history (the mid 1800s) you would have to go to the post office for mail. Now you can get mail dropped off right by your house, so instead of a multiple mile trip you just have to walk a few yards.

Downing's family had lived in the Northeast for generations. His mother's side had lived in New York City since the 1600s. His grandfather's parents were emancipated slaves from Virginia. He (Thomas Downing) went on to create a very successful oyster restaurant.

The Anti Slavery Society of the City of New York was founded in part by George T. Downing, Philip Downing's father.

Philip married Evangeline Howard, and had two kids: Antonia Downing and Philip Downing Jr.

So next time you go out to your mailbox, (which has become a pretty fun outing considering the pandemic) make sure to thank Phillip B. Downing for it.

Thank you, Phillip B. Downing.

RESOURCES
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/downing-philip-b-1857-1934/

For tomorrow-

In the first part I mentioned having separate and new organizations built that take power away from police.

I'm afraid I didn't elaborate on that much. I just wanted to explain that defunding the police isn't scary, it's good. Now onto abolishing the police.

I understand that this subject can be quite complex and there are multiple views on it. However, with research I should be able to break it down for you (and for myself as well). I look forward to diving into the subject of defunding and abolishing the police and the importance of the movement.

As for more future plans, I'm interested in looking into the books we're being taught in classrooms and how some of them may be problematic, the problematic authors, the books we should actually be teaching, and what the proper solution is. I'd like to touch on the importance of bringing Black literature into classrooms. I also want to check into Black influence on film, as well as on literature. Another post I would like to do (and one I'd like to do in the near future because I find it an important point to make) is one titled "No, It's Not Just an American Problem" about how some people seem to think America is the only place where the problem of systematic racism exists.

Anyways, just some ideas.

Thanks so much for all of the support. Thank you to everyone who has commented, voiced their opinions, and has been open minded. I appreciate it!

I love you all! Stay happy, healthy, and safe.

With love,
Nova