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Coltan is columbite-tantalite, a metallic ore that contains elements used in mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and iPods.
The Congo has 24 trillion dollars worth of raw mineral deposits. The nation holds 30% of the world’s Diamond reserves and 80% of the world’s Coltan, according to the UN.
Tombstone
Tombstone is an albino man who serves as a hitman and enforcer in the Marvel universe. He has mainly been a Spider-Man villain.
Black Spider-Woman
She is a Wolverine villain in an alternate reality.
Lady Marabunta
She is a Batwing villain who controls a crime syndicate in South Africa.
Black Manta
One of Aquaman’s greatest rivals, Black Manta, fights the King of Atlantis because Aquaman killed Black Manta’s father by accident for attacking Aquaman’s father.
Neil deGrasse Tyson has brought Black scientists of all fields to the forefront. Many young people interested in science can learn from his example and he should get credit for that. However, there are many people working and researching that are not in the spotlight. Here are just a few:
Dr. Beth A. Brown
She holds a B.S. degree in Astrophysics obtained in 1991 from Howard University, a M.S. in Astronomy obtained in 1994 from the University of Michigan. She obtained her Ph. D. in Astronomy in 1998 from the University of Michigan as well.
Most of her work is currently in the area of the hot interstellar medium in elliptical galaxies, and the mechanisms for X-ray emission from faint elliptical galaxies. Other interests include galaxy observations in multi-wavelengths.
She was an astrophysicist working for the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and Astrophysics Data Facility of NSSDC. Sadly, she died in 2008.
Dr. Jarita C. Holbrook
She received her B.S. in Physics in 1987 at the California Institute of Technology and her M.S. in Astronomy in 1992 from San Diego State University.
She obtained her Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 1997 from University of California, Santa Cruz.
She has been an Assistant Research Scientist at The Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology at The University of Arizona. Now she works in South Africa.
In the world of video games, the main characters tend to be white men with five o’clock shadows. As times have progressed, the video game landscape has become more diverse. Here are some of the best butt-kicking characters who happen to be Black:
Sazh Katzroy – Final Fantasy 13
Katzroy is a loving father and airship pilot in this franchise.
Rochelle – Left 4 Dead 2
Before the apocalypse, she was a low-level associate producer at a news station waiting for her big break. She thought that the flu outbreak would give her that break, but she ended up fighting for her life.
Martha Jones, Doctor Who and Torchwood
She is one of the few Black women to be a companion to the Doctor. Jones was spunky and took nothing from any threat that came her way.
Michonne, The Walking Dead
She is one of the coolest characters from the show. She kills zombies with her handy-dandy samurai sword.
Sci-fi and fantasy are two genres dominated by white, male voices. It can be extremely exhausting to see the same themes written by people with the same or similar perspectives. Here are seven prominent African-American women working in these two genres who have made a name for themselves by telling unique stories.
N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin found acclaim after the release of her first novel The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. She has been short-listed for major awards in such a young career and was awarded the Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor writes African-based science fiction stories and children’s books. Her novel Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award for best novel. Her works include Akata Witch, Zahrah the Windseeker, The Shadow Speaker and a children’s book Long Juju Man. She is a professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Buffalo.
In horror and sci-fi films, there are very few minority characters. The few who are part of the cast tend to be used as a plot device or are killed off. The term “cannon fodder” literally means cannon food. Soldiers are the metaphorical food for enemy cannon fire, or, in this case, they are the reason other characters fight on in sci-fi films. Here are characters who go against the trend:
Selena from 28 Days Later
Selena was the smartest person in the film. She managed to escape the fastest zombies up to that point by not being stupid.
Zoe Washburne in Serenity and Firefly
Washburne is one of writer Joss Whedon’s underrated female characters. She is the most resourceful and reasonable character in Firefly, and her death would have only ruined the show.
Lorna Rutto, Kenyan, 28 years old
Green tech entrepreneur, founder of EcoPost
EcoPost is a company that produces environmentally friendly fencing posts. The company collects plastic waste to create the fencing posts.
Patrick Ngowi, Tanzanian, 28 years old
Ngowi set up Helvetic Solar Contractors Limited, a company that installs and maintains solar power systems throughout the northern circuit of Tanzania.
Evans Wadongo, Kenyan, 26 years old
Chairman, Sustainable Development for All Kenya
Wadongo, an engineer, designed a solar-powered LED lantern called MwangaBora (Swahili for “Good Light”). It replaces dangerous kerosene lamps and firelight in rural Kenya. His company also helps people sell the lamps.
As the holiday shopping season begins, many people will be looking for an iPhone 6 Plus for a loved one. Apple products always create a lot of buzz, and this one is no different. Here are a few things iPhone 6 Plus users may hear often from non-users.
“That’s too big for me.”
“Did you try to bend it yet?”
