If Trump’s vision of a Black-free nation were to come to fruition, the United States would be set back many years and find itself in dire need of immigrants of color. People of African-descent and Black immigrants have contributed plenty to the United States and the world.

Black and Immigrant Contributions

Immigrants are an integral part of United States history and have made many contributions, even putting their lives on the line for someone else. Emmanuel Mensah, an immigrant soldier from Ghana—a country in the continent of Africa—lost his life while he rescued neighbors in a Bronx fire on December 28, 2017. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio noted the incident as the “worst fire tragedy” in the last 25 years.

Immigrants and African-descended individuals have and will continue to shape the course of United States history. Africans, Haitians, and all people of color will not let divisive words of hatred break our spirit!

Below, ESENDOM highlights some contributions made by African-descended people:

Marie Van Brittan Brown:

Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Marie Van Brittan Brown was a nurse and inventor who (along with her husband, Albert Brown) is credited for inventing the precursor to home monitoring TV security system.

Mark E. Dean:

Ever heard of the IBM personal computer? Computer scientist/engineer Mark E. Dean is credited for helping to develop several groundbreaking technologies including the color monitor, the Industry Standard Architecture bus (ISA bus), and the first gigahertz chip, among other innovations.

Junot Díaz:

Junot Díaz is currently the most influential Dominican-descended thinker of this current generation. His accomplishments include the MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, and the John Sargent, among a multitude of recognitions. Díaz is the co-founder of VONA/Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation, the only multi-genre workshop for writers of color in the United States.

Charles Richard Drew:

Known as the “Father of the blood bank,” Charles Richard Drew was a renowned surgeon and pioneer in the preservation of life-saving blood plasma. Two of his major achievements include the discovery method for long-term storage of blood plasma and he is also credited for having organized the first major blood bank.

Azza Abel Hamid Faiad:

Teenage inventors are not the norm, yet Egyptian-born Azza Abel Hamid Faiad may have found a way to transform Egypt’s plastic waste and turn it into fuel. It is estimated that her discovery could lead to $78 million in profit.

Shirley Jackson:

Shirley Jackson was the first Black woman to graduate M.I.T with a PhD and the first to be named chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Her ingenuity led to the creation of the portable fax, touch-tone telephone, caller ID, call waiting, and fiber optic cables.

Thomas L. Jennings:

An abolitionist, Thomas L. Jennings was the first African American person to receive a patent in the United States. He invented a process known as dry-scouring and some sources credit him for starting the first dry cleaning business.

Jan Ernst Matzeliger:

An immigrant from Dutch Guiana (Suriname), Jan Ernst Matzeliger, was an innovative inventor. One of Matzeliger’s most recognized inventions was an automated shoemaking machine that allowed faster assembly of the soles to the upper shoe. Once refined, the machine allowed for the production of 150-700 shoes, as opposed to the previous 50 shoes per day.

Antonio Robinson:

Born in La Vega, Dominican Republic, Antonio Robinson holds the patent to numerous inventions, including air intake assembly for an internal combustion engine, vehicular exhaust pollution reducer, and many others.

Manley West and Albert Lockhart:

It is estimated that close to 76.6 million people will be diagnosed with glaucoma by 2010. Jamaicans Manley West and Albert Lockhart invented Canasol, an eye drop that helps to prevent blindness due to glaucoma.