Blockchain technology may be the answer to how to preserve history safely, according to tech company Black History DAO.
Founded by crypto anthropologist Theresa Kennedy, Black History DAO’s main focus is on preserving ancient African texts. Through a community effort, the web 3.0 initiative has multiple members review submissions for anything considered factual historical data when it comes to African history. Anything that’s approved gets shared using blockchain technology, a decentralized community database that shares the records known as “blocks.”
The company also focuses on using virtual reality and augmented reality to make history come alive again in the 21st century. With help from Black history professors and poets, Black History DAO has created a metaverse documenting landmarks in Black history using the documents they receive. Through their collaborations with companies to create their metaverse, the crypto anthropologists also raise funds to protect the physical, historical landmarks.
“Black History DAO is a web3.0 initiative dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing the real stories of Black history and anchoring them on the blockchain,” said the initiative per a statement on their website. “The journey of reclaiming Black history is a global community movement driven to verify unimpeachable historic moments and artifacts while chronicling the remarkable dispersion of Black people.”
Throughout history, much of Black history has been overlooked, specifically when it comes to figures that have made an impact in multiple fields.
Amongst these figures is aviator Bessie Coleman. Often overshadowed by aviator Amelia Earhart, Coleman was the first African American woman, the first Black person, the first Native American woman and one of the first women in general to get a pilot’s license.
Unable to fly in the U.S. because of racism and sexism, she traveled to France to start her career and on Sep. 3, 1922, she became the first Black woman to make a public flight. Her talent eventually led her to a career in performing aerial stunts; Coleman passed away during one of these stunts at the age of 34 when her plane malfunctioned and dived to the ground.
Athlete Alice Coachman is another historical Black figure that’s often overlooked. The track star became the first African American woman ever to win an Olympic Gold Medal when she participated in the Summer Olympics in London in 1948. The medal would be the first of many awards as she won 34 national titles throughout her career.
Known for setting records, she was eventually celebrated when she was inducted in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2004.
