June 27, 1990 The Portland Observer SPIDER-MAN TACKLES SCIENCE ILLITERACY AMONG MINORITY STUDENTS In a Tradition of Excellence Tara Louise Johnson graduated this cates. O n 28 February o f this year she of this newspaper. If you read that ac­ June from Beaumont Middle School was honored at a luncheon o f the count, you know that these young la­ with a 3.86 G.P.A. The personable 14 M ultnomah Chapter o f the Daughters dies follow in an illustrious family tra­ y ear-o ld d e m o n ­ of the A merican Revolution (DAR). dition. strated a com m it­ Tara Louise Johnson That luncheon was held at W estminster Throughout ment to excellence Presbyterian Church on N.E. 16th and T a r a ’s m iddle th ro u g h o u t her Hancock. Tara received a savings bond school y e ^ s , she school years and has for her winning essay on American His­ consistently re­ been accepted into tory. T ara’s essay “ A Black A m eri­ c e iv e d honor can ’s Inventions o f the 1840s Makes the “ Institute For grades, awards and Life Sweet for Us A ll” was judged the Science and Math numerous certifi- (ISM )’’ at Grant A Black American's Inventions of the High School begin­ ning her freshman for Us All By Tara Louise Johnson year (1990-91). Norbert Ril- ented his sugar-making improvement T ara is the old­ lieux is the Black “ Evaporating P an” with the United est o f the three man who invented States Patent O ffice on D ecember 10, daughters of Lula a superior way of 1846. He had patented his “ Vacuum Stroud Johnson, an refining sugar. His Pan” invention on A ugust 26, 1843. equally committed Rillieux’ s invention has been called invention made the single parent. The refining o f sugar “ the greatest in the history o f chemical other girls, Tova, 12 engineering...giving the United States’ easier, less danger­ andK elva, 10, have su g a r in d u stry w o rld w id e ous, less expensive show n the same supremacy.” Because of racism, Norbert and sim pler than dedication to aca­ Rillieux has never been recognized for ever before. Before demic excellence­ his inventions in any chemistry , phys­ R illieux’s inven­ becoming involved ics or technical journals. The basic prin­ tion, the refining in structured extra­ o f sugar was of ciple o f R illieux’s is used throughout curricular activities the world today in the making of sugar, poor quality and unhealthy. The job from photography to journalism. If the was messy and difficult and dangerous. name “ Stroud” sounds familiar, it is Our congratulations to a young The fumes were unhealthy. Norbert because “ Kelley D. Stroud” , their grand­ African American who will go far in Rillieux of New Orleans, Louisiana pat­ father, was featured in the “ Junc- providing a role model for the aca­ T eenth” article in the June 13 edition demic excellence Black youth must Oregon State winner and sent to the Northwestern Division for further judg­ ing. Another luncheon sponsored by the Oregon State Society honoring Tara’s winning essay was held in Coos Bay on 24 March. Tara was awarded a Stale Winner Certificate and Medal from the National Society o f the DAR at that time. Significant excerpts from that prize­ winning essay follows: 1840s Makes Life Sweet 4 ÄPCP i$ gelatin, condensed milk,soap and glue. Rillieux’s methods are also used in re­ covering waste liquids in factories and distilleries. Norbert Rillieux also designed a plan to get rid o f yellow-fever infested mosquitoes in the sewers of New O r­ leans. His plan involved draining the sewers. New O rleans’ city authorities refused to approve the plan because it had been put together by a black man. Yellow fever was permitted to con­ tinue killing the citizens of the city until a similar plan was submitted by whites. Johnson’s bibliography was a book authored by a writer for this news­ paper: Black Inventor s o f Amer­ ica, by McKinley Burt). Page 9 X 9W4V i c I* h i O h euu • ras - cu , g a -g A fro c /A t/o u o r f t /e g e e Teenvoi 06Y e g g r a t s f A S T C ) H-/3 F eTR ecr M W A/AfU/H6ToR,0C 7 0 0 /8 FOR / noo aeour eofc/*u •ROORAAt/* sue'•ce ANO