Ridgefield Allies

Today in “Hidden” History is a daily listing of important but little-known events illustrating the range of innovators, contributors, or incidents excluded from formal history lessons or common knowledge. Hidden history is intended not as an exhaustive review, but merely as an illustration of how popular narratives "hide" many matters of fundamental importance. Bookmark this page and check daily to quickly expand your knowledge. Suggest entries for Today in “Hidden” History by clicking the Contact Us link. Entries for July 14:

Date	Type	Event
1885		Sarah Elisabeth Goode receives US patent # 322,177 for her invention of the Cabinet Bed, becoming the second known African-American woman to receive a United States patent. A folding bed that was a precursor to the Murphy Bed, the Cabinet Bed folded into a roll-top desk which had compartments for writing supplies and stationary. Learn more.
1891		John Stanard, a Black inventor from Newark, New Jersey, patents improvements to the refrigerator; a non-electrical and unpowered design, Stanard's refrigerator uses a manually-filled ice chamber for chilling. In his lifetime he also patented improvements to the oil stove. Overcoming racial segregation in the United States at the time, Stanard revolutionized the modern kitchen. Learn more.
1941		American professor of Africana studies, activist, and author best known as the creator of the pan-African and the African-American holiday of Kwanzaa, Maulana Ndabezitha Karenga (born Ronald McKinley Everett, previously known as Ron Karenga) is born in Parsonsburg, Maryland. Karenga studied at Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles. He was active in the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, joining the Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Modeling the holiday after the African "first fruit" traditions, Karenga created Kwanzaa in 1966. The rituals of the holiday promote African traditions, including the "seven principles of African heritage". Karenga holds doctorates in Political Science (1976) and Social Ethics (1994). He chairs the Africana Studies Department at California State University, Long Beach and is the author of several books. Learn more.
1959		A New York committee organizing a fashion show for the American National Exhibition in Moscow, Russia, announces it will remove three scenes that featured Black and white models together after dozens of fashion editors sign and circulate a petition claiming the scenes are not “representative of the American way of life.” With those scenes cut, only the 3 Black models were eliminated from the show. During this era, many white Americans throughout the U.S., including in Northern states like New York, openly supported and fought efor racial segregation. As this event helps to illustrate, many white people considered even socializing between races to be fundamentally incompatible with American life. Learn more.