So for Forward Friday during Black History Month, we're doing a reset to tell some stories in the month that we honor those who trail blazed paths for all people.
These stories are meant to be told all the time and are as significant in any era, time frame because these stories are about normal people; part of the human race we are a part of.
In a time where some of the voices that seem predominant in our culture would rather incite, stir up dissent, do not give back to the communities that actually fund them and encourage their activities, rarely give insightful, pragmatic yet strong ways to initiate change, sometimes, we need to look at those who showed determination, prevailed many times under extreme duress with courage, character and made significant contributions to their community and world.
So over the next 2 weeks, we salute incredible people, who made a difference for good!
Let's Get Into This!
Frederick Jones: The Air Conditioner Maverick!
Frederick Jones was an inventor best known for the development of refrigeration equipment used to transport food and blood during World War II.
Frederick McKinley Jones was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 17, 1893 to a white father and black mother and his childhood was challenging.
His mother deserted him when he was a young child. His father struggled to raise him on his own, but by the time Frederick was 7 years old, he sent young Jones to live with a priest in Kentucky.
Two years later, his father died. This living situation lasted for two years. At the age of 11, with minimal education under his belt, Jones ran away to fend for himself.
(I still am amazed at the drive Frederick had to make the decision that life had to be better: it's not like he had role models to show him how but yet he did.)
He returned to Cincinnati and found work doing odd jobs, including as a janitor in a garage where he developed a knack for automobile mechanics.
He was so good, he became foreman of the shop.
He was so good, he became foreman of the shop.
He later moved on, again taking odd jobs where he could. In 1912, he landed in Hallock, Minnesota where he obtained a job doing mechanical work on a farm.
Frederick had talent for and an interest in mechanics.
He taught himself mechanical and electrical engineering, inventing a range of devices relating to refrigeration, sound and automobiles.
He read extensively on the subject in addition to his daily work, educating himself in his spare time.
By the time he was twenty, Jones was able to secure an engineering license in Minnesota. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I where he was often called upon to make repairs to machines and other equipment.
Portable refrigeration units developed by Jones helped the United States military carry food and blood during World War II.
(Food would go bad, especially in the warm months when delivered in trucks with blocks of ice melting. Jones invented, from his extensive expertise in the military the refrigerated truck that modernized food transport and saved companies untold amounts of money and time.)
Jones founded the U.S. Thermo Control Company. The company grew exponentially during World War II, helping to preserve blood, medicine and food. By 1949, U.S. Thermo Control was worth millions of dollars.
(If you've ever had a hot beverage, food kept warm, the family cooler and the name Thermos was on it, You can thank Frederick Jones for it.)
(If you ever have been thankful for air conditioning in your home, apartment or car at any point, you can give a huge shout out to Fredrick Jones; His determination in spite of a rough childhood created all sorts of advances that made the world he lived in and the one we live in better!
Jones died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 21, 1961. Thank you Frederick for not letting the discouragement you must have felt as a little boy keep you from climbing up!
Frank Dancy
Although I never met him, Frank Dancy was an important person in my life.
Frank was my mom’s father and yes, my grandfather and we need to hear a little of his story.
Frank Dancy was born in North Carolina in the late 1800’s.
Slavery while abolished, the remnants of racism and terrible treatment of people of color still had a horrible grip in many states and communities and against that backdrop, my grandfather grew up.
Frank loved to work with his hands and begun developing skills using leather to which one day, his parents realized that for Frank to have a real shot at a future, he would have to leave North Carolina.
His parents realized that for Frank to have a real shot at a future, he would have to leave North Carolina.
So at 17 years old, Frank left the confines of North Carolina and headed to Chicago to live with relatives.
It was in Chicago that he began hearing about the greater opportunities that could become a possibility in Canada and specifically, Montreal.
Frank had no idea where Montreal even was but the idea intrigued him and he started vigorously pursuing the idea of moving to this unknown country, this unknown city.
Remember that he became proficient in working with leather products back in North Carolina? Frank decided that he wanted to be a shoe maker, not just a shoe repair man and to open his own shop.
So in late 1918, Frank make his trek up north to Montreal. It was daunting and scary, not knowing anyone, there was this French culture that was part of this new landscape but Frank decided to embrace his new home, settling in the downtown area.
It was there that he met his wife, a French Canadian lady name Marie. They married, Frank started his fledgling shoe repair store and not long after, they gave birth to my mom, Beatrice.
Sadly, Marie passed away when their daughter was 2 years old so life became increasingly difficult as Frank was juggling the rigors of growing his Shoe Store and bringing up his daughter.
Life became increasingly difficult as Frank was juggling the rigors of growing his Shoe Store and bringing up his daughter.
Frank had several store fronts in the downtown area but in the late 1940’s, made the decision to move west to the growing suburb of Lachine to help grow his business and lay a foundation for his and his daughter’s future.
This move proved to be a success as the competition was non-existent in the west end of the city and news of his skill and proficiency grew by word of mouth.
Frank’s specialty became making custom, quality leather shoes for customers who had serious foot problems for which regular shoes off the rack were of no help.
At the height of his success, people would come from different parts of the city and other provinces to have a pair of custom made shoes made by Frank.
Sadly, Frank passed away in November of 1963 but his skill, his industrious and adventurous spirit to take a chance at a better life for himself by moving away from all he knew, bettered the lives of so many who needed what Frank could produce.
He may not be in history books or have his face adorned on a monument or street but Frank symbolized the spirit of so many African Americans and Canadians who, dreamed for more than what their present circumstances at the time looked like.
And many like Frank, had the will, determination, drive and dream to take a chance to see what could happen.
And many like Frank, had the will, determination, drive and dream to take a chance to see what could happen.
I think the picture of the simple sign that says "The Shoe Repair Shop" speaks volumes. Nothing of grandeur but for so many, the very help they needed for their feet.
One of Frank’s favorite lines that he would say that my dad would often quote was “if you aim for the sky, you just might hit the top of the lamppost”.
When I think of courage under fire, it's more than spinning a record or popping a lyric and becoming famous: what is it that we are doing to make life, our community, our city, our world, our family a little better than how we find it?
I think Frank Dancy did that and so much more. Leaving what he knew to forge a new destiny into the unknown, Frank was a true pioneer.
Frank Dancy; Courage Under Fire: A life lived with purpose!
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