Page 6 The Skanner Portland & Seattle July 21, 2021
News
New Partnership Brings Black History
to Life Through Google Assistant
By Airik Myers, The Seat-
tle Medium
‘H
ey, Google, what
happened on this
day in Black His-
tory?’ is a term
that might become a dai-
ly ritual for many peo-
ple across the country.
Thanks to a new partner-
ship between Google and
Dr. Carl Mack, Publisher
of the Black Heritage Day
Calendar – a comprehen-
sive flip calendar that
highlights 366 notable
African Americans and
African American ac-
complishments,
more
than 500 million people
can get a daily dose of
Black History utilizing
Google Assistant.
Just prior to June-
teenth, the Google Assis-
tant team unveiled the
new feature that allows
users to receive infor-
mation on Black History
by date. By saying ‘Hey
Google, what happened
on this day in Black His-
tory?’, you are met with a
unique verbal response,
which is powered by the
information contained
in Dr. Mack’s calendar,
that will provide you
with a brief narrative
of Black History that oc-
curred on that day.
There are two ways
that you can utilize the
feature. The first option
is by asking what happen
today, and the second is
by asking what happen
on a specific date in Black
History. For example,
asking what happened
on October 8th in Black
History will solicit a re-
sponse about Powhatan
Beaty, who was born
into slavery on this day
in 1837, but later gained
his freedom and moved
to Ohio, where he proved
his talent as an actor.
The feature is acces-
sible on more than 1
billion Google Assis-
tant-enabled devices, in-
cluding smart speakers,
phones, TVs from LG and
Samsung, Chromecast,
watches and many popu-
lar soundbars.
According to Mack, the
inspiration for the cal-
endar stemmed from a
conversation that he had
with a White co-worker
back in the 80s, who was
asking Mack about a his-
toric Black figure that he
never heard of.
“One day [my co-work-
er] came to work and he
was talking to me about
this guy, Henry Blippar,
who was the first Black to
graduate from the West
“
that he made gave Mack
an enhanced sense of
self-pride and fueled his
passion to teach, learn
and serve others. After
some years of doing re-
search, Mack decided
to share his knowledge
more broadly, so he pro-
duced the original ver-
sion of the Black Heri-
tage calendar in 1992.
Fast forward to today
and people are still fas-
cinated with the infor-
mation contained in the
calendar, which is now in
its fourth edition. Some
of the information like
Martin Luther King’s
Birthday is commonly
known, but there are oth-
er lesser-known entries
that have a common con-
nection to our everyday
lives like Elijah McCoy,
an African American in-
ventor, whose high-qual-
It tells us about contributors
who are not your big names.
[It] helps people understand
that bigger picture. And for
us, that was the compelling
moment here.
Point Military Academy.
And [he’s] looking at me
like I know who this guy
is, and I had no idea who
[he] was talking about,”
recalled Mack. “I literally
felt ashamed and embar-
rassed that this White
man knew more about
my culture than I did.”
The interaction led
Mack to learn more
about Black History and
over time become a Black
Historian in his own
right. The discoveries
ity inventions gained
so much notoriety the
phrase “the Real McCoy”
was coined to distinguish
his inventions from
cheap imitations.
“I shared [the ‘Today In
Black History feature]
with close to a hundred
people and their level of
excitement is insane,”
says Mack. “It is off the
charts, but they come
back to me and every one
of them, my mama in-
cluded said, ‘If you didn’t
tell me this,
how would I
ever know it
existed?”
W h i l e
Mack’s ini-
tial intent
was to share
his
infor-
mation with
the world,
he had no
idea
that
he literally
would
be
sharing it on
a platform
that reaches
hundreds of
millions of
people on a
daily basis.
“Did
I
think that 30
years later,
the research
that I did on
Black
his- As it relates to the “Today in Black History” initiative, this is Google’s first partnership
tory would that was “specifically designed to educate and raise awareness about equity and
now be on inclusion on the Google Assistant.
the Google
assistant, and that 500 Mack’s calendar was a the calendar and every
million people around perfect fit for what they day, all you have to say
is, ‘Hey, Google, what
the world could access were trying to do.
“We felt like it was happened on this day in
it?” says Mack in awe of
the achievement. “That is very important to raise Black History?’ And just
just where God says big, awareness about the like that, with just your
Black community and voice, you could be ex-
God means BIG.”
The connection with about important figures posed to 366 days of Af-
Google came from one in the Black community rican-American History
of Mack’s mentees, Jus- that often don’t get atten- with just your voice,”
says Mack about the ease
tin Steele, who works tion,” said Tsai.
“The beautiful thing that people can access
for Google. Mack sent a
copy of his calendar to about Dr. Mack’s calen- the information through
Steele looking for feed- dar is it looks at the parts Google Assistant. “You
back. Unbeknownst to of the story that like most just learn something
Mack at the time, Goo- people aren’t aware of, it beautiful about our his-
gle was in the process of tells us about important tory and you know, the
looking for content that moments in Black cul- reason why it’s import-
they could feature every ture and Black history,” ant to me, [is] because I
day that was in line with added Tsai. “It tells us know what knowledge of
their efforts towards di- about contributors who self-did for me.”
are not your big names.
As it relates to the “To-
versity and inclusion.
[It]
helps
people
under-
day
in Black History”
According to Beth Tsai,
stand
that
bigger
pic-
initiative,
this is Goo-
Policy Director for Goo-
ture.
And
for
us,
that
was
gle’s
first
partnership
gle Search and Assistant,
the compelling moment that was “specifically
here. Here’s a chance designed to educate and
for your average Google raise awareness about
user who doesn’t know equity and inclusion on
anything about these the Google Assistant.’”
things to really jump in,
Tsai says that the Goo-
learn more and learn in gle Assistant, from the
depth.”
beginning, has been
For Mack, who previ- about inclusivity, and
ously served as president being an assistant for ev-
of the Seattle King County eryone to connect to.
NAACP and was the for-
“Everyone,
regard-
mer executive director less of who you are, re-
of the National Society of gardless of your race,
Black Engineers (NSBE), regardless of your gen-
the opportunity for peo- der, regardless of your
ple to learn about and ap- ethnicity, your religion,
preciate Black History is a we wanted the system to
tremendous step towards recognize you,” says Tsai.
self-knowledge and pride
“I hope our Black us-
for African Americans, ers… listen to our calen-
and a chance for others to dar, and I hope that they
see and understand Afri- feel like the Google Assis-
can Americans in a way tant is theirs,” she contin-
that is not readily found ued. “I hope that they see
in traditional American themselves in the Google
history books.
system. [I hope it feels]
“I mean, you look at like the Google assistant
Google. Google is argu- recognizes them and sees
ably one of the greatest them as an ally. Because
search engines on this that, fundamentally, is
planet. The fact that they the most important thing
have the content from for us.”