Way back when I was in the 3rd grade in the 70s I found a hero in George Washington Carver. It's strange that I would learn about the man way back in those dark and evil days before we learned anything about black history.
That's right...we can learn about great black Americans who have contributed something to this country. Don't need to get into African studies. Makes no sense.
Got you beat. I was in third grade in 1953!
Don't remember exactly when I was taught about G.W. Carver but it was sometime during grammar school - St. Rose of Lima in Freehold, New Jersey.
Also learned about Ralph Bunch who became UN Undersecretary in 1955 after winning Nobel in 1950...OK, I did a quick google on Bunch re: the years but I remembered the UN & Nobel things!
BTW, my Catholic grammar school did not have one black kid enrolled although a "black street" was just a block away and we all played basketball/football/baseball together nearly every day.