HistoryTalk

Welcome to HistoryTalk!

This is a space for empowerment, insight, and education. We’re here to delve into the rich and often untold stories of women (and men) of colour throughout history.

Let’s share, learn, and uplift each other by exploring the past and drawing lessons for today. Connect with like-minded individuals, exchange ideas, watch insightful videos, and engage in meaningful discussions.

Together, we can keep our history alive and empower future generations.

Feel free to share your thoughts, experiences, and content. Welcome aboard!

Vivien Thomas. The Janitor Who Revolutionised Heart Surgery

In 1930, a young Black man, Vivien Theodore Thomas, arrived at Vanderbilt University, officially employed as a janitor but deeply passionate about medicine. With no formal training beyond high school, he impressed Dr. Alfred Blalock so profoundly that he rapidly progressed from sweeping floors to mastering complex surgical techniques in the lab 

In 1941, Blalock brought Thomas to Johns Hopkins, where alongside cardiologist Helen Taussig they embarked on pioneering work to treat “blue baby syndrome” (Tetralogy of Fallot).

Thomas conducted hundreds of experiments in animals, developing the methodical precision needed. On November 29, 1944, during the first human operation,

Thomas stood behind Blalock, coaching every move from a step stool. His contributions saved countless lives and ushered in modern heart surgery.

The Spirit of Nanny: Warrior. Mother. Maroon.

“Let us remember that we come from a people who refused to bow. A people who refused to be broken. A people who, like Nanny, knew that freedom was not given, it was taken.”

Let us take a moment to honour one of the fiercest women to ever walk the soil of resistance, Queen Nanny of the Maroons. She was not just a Jamaican hero. She was a spiritual general, a divine strategist, a freedom fighter born of Ashanti royalty who rose against the might of the British Empire and won.

Let the record be set straight.

Was Nanny a Maroon?