Same! My grandma has a TON of individual books about different blk pioneers, engineers, doctors, writers, etc. She had a book allllllll about Hensen! I gotta go grab them now and give em all a reread.
I felt so many things while watching this! I felt anger at how Henson was so disrespected in the moment, but then I felt so grateful to hear how he and Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah were finally honored. I’m also grateful that you are telling their story so we can all honor their memory. Thank you!
There was a metal meteor lying on the surface of a rock island. Many Inuit traveled to get the metal to make hooks and spear points. One English explorer found out and loaded it up, what made them die in the Arctic.
It's not shocking to see how poorly Henson was treated, but disheartening all the same. I'm glad the indigenous folks were far more welcoming and saw them as their family. Had it not been for the connections Henson made with them, Peary would've never made it as far as he did.
Many British and European explorers died in the Arctic because they didn't associate with the Inuit. It's ordinary to think Inuit live in igloos, when that's something they build along the way, to sleep or shelter from a storm. They had underground cities, well below the frost line, usually 20 to 40 people.
Peary couldn’t acknowledge that there were others with him at the north pole, even when they were right there with him. But Matthew the Kind One never forgot the Inuit friends and explorers he traveled with, and made sure their courage and skill was recognized along with his own! What a guy. What a legacy of integrity, far more admirable than what Peary hoped to achieve! Matthew Henson is an example of what a true hero looks like. He’s the kind of historical figure I’d want to teach children to admire, both for his bravery and for his loyalty and camaraderie.
But isn't that in the blood of most Europeans. Why are you surprised.... The sad part was the little nature boy that they kidnapped and did tests on him as a specimen.
The sad part about Perry is that he would still have been recognized without this pettiness. It was, after all, HIS expedition. He was the leader. He would have been recognized. But his lack of honor at the time is resulting in his loss of prestige today.
I went to a mostly black staff elementary. I learned the real American history. The week we learned about him, they turned our playground into the Arctic, and we explored the school ground, and we searched the school ground for specimen that i now know were planted. He was one of my favorite explorers growing up.
@@MrElliotc02that was my thought too. My entire life Henson has been known to be the most likely person to be first to the north pole. As a kid I went to his grave at Arlington as well. Parents took me their for a school project I was doing in elementary school.
Here I am…. 60 years old and although I knew of Matthew Henson , I did not know of the mistreatment towards him by Admiral Peary after their journey nor did I know the names of the indigenous native men who assisted them on their quest…. Thank you for enlightening me👍🏽✊🏽
I learned about Matthew Henson a long time ago. History erases people of color's contributions to world history and American history. We have to make an effort to discover everyone's contributions to history. It's what I love about history 😊
@@lsowner10 It's actually people of color. There are people of color from many nations around the world that have been erased from history including Black Americans. Don't get caught in that trap. Anyone, regardless of origin, with an extraordinary contribution should be recognized and have their moment in the spotlight and place recorded in history.
@@quincybirwood2629wrong. Black Americans specifically have had their contributions given to “POC” which is a generic meaningless term. No culture is more disrespected than Black American culture.
Henson's story is so interesting (I read his autobiography earlier this year). I'm honestly surprised it hasn't been made into a movie yet! you could flashback to his life while following his journey to the pole
The history books should remember them like this: First people recorded people on the north pole: Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo and Ooqueah. First person of Old World descent on the North pole: Henson. First White man who sadly got overcome by their racism due to the delirious cold but nonetheless sponsored the expedition on the North pole: Peary
It's commonly called the Peary-Henson Expedition, and Peary's own accounts state that Henson was the first to physically reach the Pole. Their falling out probably had more to do with Henson being the only one capable of proving that the expedition may not have actually reached the North Pole.
Matthew Henson blazed the trail for exploration but his legacy was smothered due to prejudice. Now he's vindicated after so much digging. It's unfortunate that it was past his death to realize it.
@@danielland3767Facts. I'm from Bmore and remember as a kid on the school bus the Driver would pick us kids that attended the school back in the early 90s. 1600 N Payson St. That's the address.
@@danielland3767 100 percent. I took history at both Morgan & Coppin St. It's amazing how now we have the tech in place at a time to truly reveal the true history to ppl.
thats a good summary of the past 500 - 750 years of human history. europeans claiming ownership of everything thats clearly not theirs or that they had little to nothing to do with creating/completing. like taking credit for ww2 victory when most of the damage done to germany was from the ussr since europeans have some deep hatred for leftists that burns brighter than their hatred for those that arent eurocentric. without that maniacal hatred,, germany would have focused on deposing all the monarchs in europe and would have easily succeeded due to europeans having the weakest fighters/soldiers on earth at the time.
So I was born eons after this event. I was still taught skin color is based on Hemisphere. Which clearly is a FALSE idea. 2:53 "son of the equator" 4:20. "Skin similar " We are still taught BP are only from Africa even when they are on other continents as natives. That poor education was told to Henson. The reason why he cannot go to the north pole. People of his skintone were living there.
Henson was an outstanding explorer. He demonstrated the unique ability to survive numerous situations. First he survived modern civil society (a time of unfair laws targeted against specific groups). The harsh unforgiven arctic wilderness and third, the indignity of being denied recognition for a major achievement for which he risked his life. He was truly remarkable .
Okay first of all - this production?!?! AMAZING WORK TEAM! Such a good job keeping us engaged with all the animation and Harini - you ate that miss mamas! Keep it up! Love these so much.
Matthew Henson was well known in Baltimore in the 80's/90's we knew he was critical to the success of that mission just like Lewis Latimer was critical to Thomas Edison light bulb, both would be nowhere without Black excellence with them
Hi @@ravi12346, why was it necessary to include the term "half"? I am asking because in the black American community most of us do not acknowledge "half" when it comes to our siblings. Perhaps this is because of the painful history of the black American family structure which consisted of black slave families being torn apart and sold as well as slaves being treated like animals forced to breed. This resulted in many black children being "half" siblings but you will almost never hear the term "half" used in the black American community when describing or introducing a sibling even if we share only one biological parent. When those from other communities and mainstream media point out "half" it always seems offensive. In these instances many of us say, "Why did they have to say half sister (brother)? What difference did that make to the story or event that took place." So that is why I am asking you why did you comment "half"? The only reason I can conclude is that it is said to make someone feel or seem less.
I'm really frustrated that I never learned about this before (I'm 24 now), but what an amazing story! He overcame adversity in every way and at every step to accomplish something truly remarkable.
North Arctic Explorer Mr. Matthew Hensen born 1866 has an amazing story that is well known across the African American Communities. Hensen also has family members in the North Arctic because he had children from a local woman during his explorations. I just left Antarctica in March and Explorer Mr. George Washington Gibbs Jr. born 1916 in Jacksonville Florida was the first Black Man to reach Antarctica and the South Pole in 1939. I’ve studied Mr. Gibbs for a few years, on my Antarctica trip I introduced Gibbs history to the ship and the actual land point named after him in Antarctica. His daughter Ms. Leilani Raashida Henry wrote a recent book “The Call Of Antarctica” about her father’s exploration. Explorers Hensen and Gibbs are true trailblazers and maybe you could also do a show on Mr. Gibbs also. Fortunately I’ve been able to travel to all seven continents and I enjoy geography, archaeology, anthropology and history. Thank you PBS for this show and your important work throughout the decades.
I first heard of Matthew Henson in the opening of the musical Ragtime! Robert Peary's name is pronounced "pairy," which I also learned in Ragtime. It's too bad no one caught that before the video was released.
I'm glad his name is mispronounced, he deserves no proper mention that absolute piece of shit destroyed the life of an Inuit child as well, Minik! Read about it at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minik_Wallace
I first learned of Henson reading about him in a collection of short biographies of overlooked scientists and explorers by Stephen Jay Gould. The image of a White man being pulled on a sleigh by a Black man and several Inuits and then getting credit for being the first man on the North Pole never left my mind afterwards. I wish you had mentioned that Henson also got a son, Anauakaq, with an Inuit woman - his only descendent. Peary also had children with an Inuit woman.
basically an example of how eurocentrics have always gone about life. make everyone else do the work with a gun pointed at them and take credit for everything once its done like they did virtually every part by themselves. its the "self made man" trope but made honest
I learned about him in third grade, we got stickers of people for black history month and put them on each day of the month. Thank you for expanding my knowledge on this, and I would love to read his book.
Amazing video, I knew of Matthew Henson from Wikipedia but this video was seriously such a great dive into his accomplishments. Thank you so much for making this video, it's important.
Unfortunately the Afro Americans hardly got any credits for their contribution in various disciplines even in early 1900s.It was sad how Blacks were treated as inferior beings during that time.Hence Henderson never got the credit for discovering North Pole inspite of all his hardwork during the freezing winters of Greenland
Speaking of the Arctic, Franklin and the other European expeditions failed to traverse the Northwest Passage with each attempt, always doing things the "European" way, and promptly met disaster. Finally one dude was like "hey you know these people who have lived here for thousands of years? Maybe we should ask how they survive in this environment" and Roald Amundsun promptly navigated the Northwest Passage
Thank you for telling his story so wonderfully, i'm from Baltimore so i'd heard previous versions but none as encompassing as yours. Even better was having this story told by a melanated person
He's a household name in Black households particularly for people like me, a Gen-Xer who went to all Black schools. Henson was in the pantheon of Black historical figures which included MLK, Harriet Tubman, W.E.B Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Madame C.J. Walker, Phyllis Wheatley. We had to learn true American history at my schools and it was reinforced at home. ☮️
Good video. You left out Henson and Peary both had Inuit wives for the excursions and fathered half Inuit sons. The scholar from Harvard was primarily responsible for revealing that secret and ultimately reunited Henson’s US descendants with his Inuit descendants.
Marginalized communities not being given credit … no surprise there! Insecurities impacting culture and acceptable norms, meant that acknowledging contributions or discoveries would stay hidden. Keep up the amazing work
Matthew Henson is a celebrated explorer, at least where I come from. I literally didn't know until I was a young adult that someone else was claiming to be first at the north pole.
The first people at the North Pole recognized by the West were a Black man and Inuit people--and I'm only finding this out in my late 40s?? Institutional racism is a powerful force. I mean, we all know the Pole was the Inuit people's stomping grounds and every expedition would invariably include their being exploited, so that part isn't huge news to me 😔 But I never knew about Matthew A. Henson! I'm glad he's now getting the recognition and celebration he was so wrongfully denied most of his life 🤎🤎🤎
Great work!! There is a great book I used to read to my students about Henson. He was also great with medical skills. That was almost 30 years ago. I don't remember the name of the book, but I see that amazon has several books on him now.
through studying the real history, it is clear that 100 percent of aristocrats of the period were crappy, only with some positive attributes and accolades.
It's just heart-breaking to learn of the way people have been treated, it dampens the feeling of celebration I'd like to feel for Henson and the guides. He deserved to be celebrated and experience the energy.
They left New York on July sixth and arrived in Ellesmere Island on September fifth...they're both in the same time zone, so the dates were the same in both places.
Gen X urban dwellers from NYC know Mathew Henson. Stevie Wonder wrote a song with lyrics about him. It's on the Songs in the key of Life album. " It's time we learned this world was made for all men".
Shhhh PBS still hates the real people of this country, they know they control black people still and they will never control indigenous people so they’re never going to get any acknowledgment Henson’s achievement is remarkable but why are we praising anyone for aristocrat behavior for fame and glory? I just laugh when people ‘achieve’ gross hording of resources or becoming famous or competing with those who aren’t focused on doing something for the other humans in this place. They just hope the indigenous who survived the genocide pipe down or water down with the Holocaust laws that are STILL on the books lmao Then they send the black folks to kill the native folks for them and want me to praise that smdh I’m sorry that blood’s on their hands, this place is broken PBS kept deleting my comments because I said I wouldn’t praise the Buffalo Soldiers though I understood their terrible choice But I won’t praise them. Doing the dirty work of the whites by killing indigenous women and children just trying to live is not worthy of praise. Remember folks, the US state is simply a cash grab for the unfathomably wealthy European families who genocided it and they ALL profited from enslaving black folks.
No one lives on the North Pole, they live in the outer regions of the Artic, not the dead center. Waaaay too cold to explore or live there, that's why it was so astonishing when Henson discovered it.
@@victorjohnson4971 North Pole is mostly shifting sea ice for a good few miles, if they went there it was probably a one-time thing, and they didn't really care about the North Pole all that much to seek it out
Erased from history? I learned about Matthew Henson when I was a 3 or 4 year old child. My parents bought African American History flash cards for my sister and I to study. The cards had the name of the African American inventor/explorer/revolutionary/etc... On the back of the cards had all the information about the person. I suggest people to seek out African American books for their kids. You cannot rely on the public school system. Matthew Henson is actress Taraji P Henson's great great grand uncle.
Thank you for this awesome reminder!! I hope kids of all races will learn this and be inspired. There were some facts in this video that I myself never knew. Great Job!!
Perry did NOT want to admit that a black man beat him there first. As a black Baltimore native, we knew who he was.
That’s Sad. Such a likely story, as been proven time and again.
We know his name and say his name in Black homes and Black Churches, we say his name.
@@JoseyTurn17 Damn right.
I,too, knew who he was.
He was not unknown to people.
Yes!
When I was a child, Matthew Henson WAS a household name in my household.
Same! My grandma has a TON of individual books about different blk pioneers, engineers, doctors, writers, etc. She had a book allllllll about Hensen! I gotta go grab them now and give em all a reread.
Mine too
When?
I knew of Henson, I did not know he was black! History whitewashed...😒
Same here. In my neighborhood in Baltimore, we even had a public school named for him.
I felt so many things while watching this! I felt anger at how Henson was so disrespected in the moment, but then I felt so grateful to hear how he and Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo, and Ooqueah were finally honored. I’m also grateful that you are telling their story so we can all honor their memory. Thank you!
Same cause I knew about Henson but not the others
I am severely disgusted by these white explorers. Coloniser elitists to the very end.
Feelings are clouds which obscure the light of truth.
Sometimes justice takes a while.
PBS should also review the autobiography of William Shakespeare. His own description of himself doesn’t sound “European”
4:12 A black man and Inuit groups headed to the Arctic? Where’s that action-adventure movie?
Disney's Lawyers and PR division haven't given clearance yet.
Disney will figure it out. Or they’ll make a Christopher Columbus movie and have Donald Glover play him. Don’t worry
It's called Glory and Honor. It came out in 1998. Delroy Lindo won an award for his portrayal of Henson.
@@bufordhighwater9872 At first My dyslexic brain read your comment as "Glory and Hole" 😄😄
@@devileyez78Critical 😂😂😂 i'm only laughing Kuzz you're so on point with that one for real
"The Kind One..." that's a way better reputation than "which asshole exploited people and got to the North Pole first?"
Makes you wanna cry at how they must have been treated by white explorers if that's even a title to give to someone. Just... kind.
Lmao
@@agapitoliriaexactly what I said them white folks must’ve been treating them like ish
There was a metal meteor lying on the surface of a rock island. Many Inuit traveled to get the metal to make hooks and spear points. One English explorer found out and loaded it up, what made them die in the Arctic.
It's not shocking to see how poorly Henson was treated, but disheartening all the same. I'm glad the indigenous folks were far more welcoming and saw them as their family. Had it not been for the connections Henson made with them, Peary would've never made it as far as he did.
Many British and European explorers died in the Arctic because they didn't associate with the Inuit. It's ordinary to think Inuit live in igloos, when that's something they build along the way, to sleep or shelter from a storm. They had underground cities, well below the frost line, usually 20 to 40 people.
@@johnwattdotca The Inuit story should be more well known. All our history mention are eskimos and the stereotypes they have for them.
Exactly!👍🏽
@@johnwattdotca Didn't know that, thanks!!!
Peary couldn’t acknowledge that there were others with him at the north pole, even when they were right there with him. But Matthew the Kind One never forgot the Inuit friends and explorers he traveled with, and made sure their courage and skill was recognized along with his own! What a guy. What a legacy of integrity, far more admirable than what Peary hoped to achieve! Matthew Henson is an example of what a true hero looks like. He’s the kind of historical figure I’d want to teach children to admire, both for his bravery and for his loyalty and camaraderie.
There are so many more...
But isn't that in the blood of most Europeans. Why are you surprised.... The sad part was the little nature boy that they kidnapped and did tests on him as a specimen.
The sad part about Perry is that he would still have been recognized without this pettiness. It was, after all, HIS expedition. He was the leader. He would have been recognized. But his lack of honor at the time is resulting in his loss of prestige today.
Thank you for revealing the hidden history of North Pole exploration and telling Matthew Henson's story.
I went to a mostly black staff elementary. I learned the real American history. The week we learned about him, they turned our playground into the Arctic, and we explored the school ground, and we searched the school ground for specimen that i now know were planted. He was one of my favorite explorers growing up.
How depressingly unsurprising that this is the first time I've heard this man's name.
Same here.
You haven't read any accounts of polar Exploration then.
@@MrElliotc02that was my thought too. My entire life Henson has been known to be the most likely person to be first to the north pole. As a kid I went to his grave at Arlington as well. Parents took me their for a school project I was doing in elementary school.
Here I am…. 60 years old and although I knew of Matthew Henson , I did not know of the mistreatment towards him by Admiral Peary after their journey nor did I know the names of the indigenous native men who assisted them on their quest…. Thank you for enlightening me👍🏽✊🏽
I learned about Matthew Henson a long time ago. History erases people of color's contributions to world history and American history. We have to make an effort to discover everyone's contributions to history. It's what I love about history 😊
Black Americans not “people of color!”
@@lsowner10 It's actually people of color. There are people of color from many nations around the world that have been erased from history including Black Americans. Don't get caught in that trap. Anyone, regardless of origin, with an extraordinary contribution should be recognized and have their moment in the spotlight and place recorded in history.
@@quincybirwood2629wrong. Black Americans specifically have had their contributions given to “POC” which is a generic meaningless term. No culture is more disrespected than Black American culture.
He is an ancestor of Taraji P. Henson
Facts @@lsowner10
Henson's story would make a great movie.
Hollywood will only do it if they can find a way to have a White hero or savior in the story 😂
@@dreynolds4883have you been paying attention to Hollywood movies lately?
@@TheMysteryDriver Care to explain?
@@vanillavania.I can try: Black Panther 1 + 2, AMISTAD, Us, Get Out, Hidden Figures, Moonlight…
@@utubes720 Hidden Figures!!!! ❤❤❤❤❤
Taraji P Hanson’s ( the actress) great great -grandfather Joseph Henson ,was Mathew Henson’s brother.
They have stolen so much of our accomplishments.
Henson's story is so interesting (I read his autobiography earlier this year). I'm honestly surprised it hasn't been made into a movie yet! you could flashback to his life while following his journey to the pole
Better to be an HBO mini series.
The history books should remember them like this:
First people recorded people on the north pole: Ootah, Egingwah, Seegloo and Ooqueah.
First person of Old World descent on the North pole: Henson.
First White man who sadly got overcome by their racism due to the delirious cold but nonetheless sponsored the expedition on the North pole: Peary
It's commonly called the Peary-Henson Expedition, and Peary's own accounts state that Henson was the first to physically reach the Pole. Their falling out probably had more to do with Henson being the only one capable of proving that the expedition may not have actually reached the North Pole.
Learning that colonialism is both black and white: priceless.
@@bufordhighwater9872pin this
NO SIR THERE WERE BLACK PEOPLE IN AMERICA BEFORE WHITES AS WELL.
@ExploreVanIsle what an idiot
Matthew Henson blazed the trail for exploration but his legacy was smothered due to prejudice. Now he's vindicated after so much digging. It's unfortunate that it was past his death to realize it.
He is vindicated publicity, being from Maryland he was regularly regarded im Baltimore City Public City schools
@@danielland3767Facts. I'm from Bmore and remember as a kid on the school bus the Driver would pick us kids that attended the school back in the early 90s. 1600 N Payson St. That's the address.
@@MattMullins-x7o yeah the fun part about the internet now it local history people who where major players in history are finally getting their dues
@@danielland3767 100 percent. I took history at both Morgan & Coppin St. It's amazing how now we have the tech in place at a time to truly reveal the true history to ppl.
JUSTICE DELAYED, IS JUSTICE DENIED..
love how the host (para)phrased it: there was a race to see who would be the 1st white man to reach land that Indigenous people had already explored😂
thats a good summary of the past 500 - 750 years of human history. europeans claiming ownership of everything thats clearly not theirs or that they had little to nothing to do with creating/completing. like taking credit for ww2 victory when most of the damage done to germany was from the ussr since europeans have some deep hatred for leftists that burns brighter than their hatred for those that arent eurocentric. without that maniacal hatred,, germany would have focused on deposing all the monarchs in europe and would have easily succeeded due to europeans having the weakest fighters/soldiers on earth at the time.
Haha! I caught that, too - made me feel sure and appreciate that the rest of the film was going to be honest.
So I was born eons after this event. I was still taught skin color is based on Hemisphere. Which clearly is a FALSE idea.
2:53 "son of the equator"
4:20. "Skin similar "
We are still taught BP are only from Africa even when they are on other continents as natives.
That poor education was told to Henson. The reason why he cannot go to the north pole. People of his skintone were living there.
Hansen was a truly remarkable person, Perry's treatment of him after the fact... deplorable.
aye, the lore that is being written is dep lorable
Considering their history, I am not surprised.
Henson was an outstanding explorer.
He demonstrated the unique ability to survive numerous situations.
First he survived modern civil society (a time of unfair laws targeted against specific groups).
The harsh unforgiven arctic wilderness and third, the indignity of being denied recognition for a major achievement for which he risked his life.
He was truly remarkable .
It’s not stolen, you’re seeing it right here.
Okay first of all - this production?!?! AMAZING WORK TEAM! Such a good job keeping us engaged with all the animation and Harini - you ate that miss mamas! Keep it up! Love these so much.
Matthew Henson was well known in Baltimore in the 80's/90's we knew he was critical to the success of that mission just like Lewis Latimer was critical to Thomas Edison light bulb, both would be nowhere without Black excellence with them
This is the first time I heard about Lewis Latimer. Thank you. Yet another important black person in history to look up.
@@kathleenfelkner9091 no problem, that was another Black Inventor that I was taught growing up.
Any questions on both come back and ask
Thank you for this story. I had never heard of Henson. He clearly deserves whatever honor is belatedly bestowed on him.
Fun fact Taraji P Henson the actress is his niece.
Half-great-great-grandniece, it looks like. His half-brother was her great-great-grandfather.
Jim Henson was his great nephew also. I love fun facts
That's hella dope for real! You learn something new everyday if you keep your mind open
And she's breaking new ground as an actress!!!❤❤
Hi @@ravi12346, why was it necessary to include the term "half"? I am asking because in the black American community most of us do not acknowledge "half" when it comes to our siblings. Perhaps this is because of the painful history of the black American family structure which consisted of black slave families being torn apart and sold as well as slaves being treated like animals forced to breed. This resulted in many black children being "half" siblings but you will almost never hear the term "half" used in the black American community when describing or introducing a sibling even if we share only one biological parent. When those from other communities and mainstream media point out "half" it always seems offensive. In these instances many of us say, "Why did they have to say half sister (brother)? What difference did that make to the story or event that took place." So that is why I am asking you why did you comment "half"? The only reason I can conclude is that it is said to make someone feel or seem less.
I'm really frustrated that I never learned about this before (I'm 24 now), but what an amazing story! He overcame adversity in every way and at every step to accomplish something truly remarkable.
North Arctic Explorer Mr. Matthew Hensen born 1866 has an amazing story that is well known across the African American Communities. Hensen also has family members in the North Arctic because he had children from a local woman during his explorations. I just left Antarctica in March and Explorer Mr. George Washington Gibbs Jr. born 1916 in Jacksonville Florida was the first Black Man to reach Antarctica and the South Pole in 1939. I’ve studied Mr. Gibbs for a few years, on my Antarctica trip I introduced Gibbs history to the ship and the actual land point named after him in Antarctica. His daughter Ms. Leilani Raashida Henry wrote a recent book “The Call Of Antarctica” about her father’s exploration. Explorers Hensen and Gibbs are true trailblazers and maybe you could also do a show on Mr. Gibbs also. Fortunately I’ve been able to travel to all seven continents and I enjoy geography, archaeology, anthropology and history. Thank you PBS for this show and your important work throughout the decades.
He's the great grand of the actress .It's said.She also resembles him
I first heard of Matthew Henson in the opening of the musical Ragtime! Robert Peary's name is pronounced "pairy," which I also learned in Ragtime. It's too bad no one caught that before the video was released.
I'm glad his name is mispronounced, he deserves no proper mention that absolute piece of shit destroyed the life of an Inuit child as well, Minik! Read about it at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minik_Wallace
Ya I've never heard it pronounced the way she was saying it.
First heard of him in the song "Black Man" by Stevie Wonder.
I first learned of Henson reading about him in a collection of short biographies of overlooked scientists and explorers by Stephen Jay Gould. The image of a White man being pulled on a sleigh by a Black man and several Inuits and then getting credit for being the first man on the North Pole never left my mind afterwards. I wish you had mentioned that Henson also got a son, Anauakaq, with an Inuit woman - his only descendent. Peary also had children with an Inuit woman.
basically an example of how eurocentrics have always gone about life. make everyone else do the work with a gun pointed at them and take credit for everything once its done like they did virtually every part by themselves. its the "self made man" trope but made honest
I learned about him in third grade, we got stickers of people for black history month and put them on each day of the month. Thank you for expanding my knowledge on this, and I would love to read his book.
Same story with Everest. Tenzing Norgay basically carried Edmund Hilary to the summit.
Amazing video, I knew of Matthew Henson from Wikipedia but this video was seriously such a great dive into his accomplishments. Thank you so much for making this video, it's important.
True facts Matthew Henson is the half brother of Josiah Henson and the half great-great granduncle of Taraji Henson.
Thank you for our history that they have covered up or erased and definitely ignored. Thank you so much.
Unfortunately the Afro Americans hardly got any credits for their contribution in various disciplines even in early 1900s.It was sad how Blacks were treated as inferior beings during that time.Hence Henderson never got the credit for discovering North Pole inspite of all his hardwork during the freezing winters of Greenland
Speaking of the Arctic,
Franklin and the other European expeditions failed to traverse the Northwest Passage with each attempt, always doing things the "European" way, and promptly met disaster.
Finally one dude was like "hey you know these people who have lived here for thousands of years? Maybe we should ask how they survive in this environment" and Roald Amundsun promptly navigated the Northwest Passage
doing things the european way is why 99% of the human species has died from labor induced starvation in the past 75 years
Thank you so much for this beautifully narrated, illustrated and packaged history. I had no idea about Henson and the indigenous explorers!!!
I learned about Henson in grade school. This is America people. To know what that means should leave no shock at accounts like these.
I've heard of this guy, and I'm not even from North America.
I love this story. Josh Gates mentioned him in his Explorer's Club show.
I love this channel! I've got a daughter who's almost here and will definitely be sharing this kind of content with her as she grows.
I'm 60 years old. And now I am learning this. I hate my shitty NYC public school education. What a waste of my precious years.
Thanks for this history.
There’s so many accomplishments of people with melanin that history writers have not recognized.
Justice served! As a Kenyan, it brings me joy to learn about this 😊. 🇰🇪❤
Thank you for telling his story so wonderfully, i'm from Baltimore so i'd heard previous versions but none as encompassing as yours. Even better was having this story told by a melanated person
He's a household name in Black households particularly for people like me, a Gen-Xer who went to all Black schools. Henson was in the pantheon of Black historical figures which included MLK, Harriet Tubman, W.E.B Dubois, Booker T. Washington, Madame C.J. Walker, Phyllis Wheatley. We had to learn true American history at my schools and it was reinforced at home. ☮️
I wish we could have a TV series about him.
Hollywood, Hollywood, Hollywood, … You can be so disappointing. Why is their no movie about Henson yet?
What an amazing story, so well documented and kindly narrated. Thank you! Also, this could be an epic movie!
Thank you! I cried, got shivers and I smiled a lot. That was amazing.
Good video. You left out Henson and Peary both had Inuit wives for the excursions and fathered half Inuit sons. The scholar from Harvard was primarily responsible for revealing that secret and ultimately reunited Henson’s US descendants with his Inuit descendants.
Amazing that someone with that background wasn't seen as being tough enough
Both Henson and Peary fathered sons with Inuit natives and have direct descendants still living in Greenland...
Marginalized communities not being given credit … no surprise there! Insecurities impacting culture and acceptable norms, meant that acknowledging contributions or discoveries would stay hidden.
Keep up the amazing work
Henson is a household name in Black homes and Black Churches.
We Say his name, Henson
And we appreciate him on the US stamp😍
Being a child not older than 10yrs old i remember reading about this and i was so proud of this black man who was a great explorer long live your name
This is so remarkable enlightening. Thanks for sharing, i never knew about Mr Henson at all. What a man.
I’ve heard so many Polar Explorations and respect to everyone who has been on those expeditions.
I have always been very proud to have attended Matthew A Henson elementary school
The montage at the end 😭😭😭
What’s done in the dark always comes to light. Thank you for sharing this! ❤
Hes well known in schools in and around the DC area. Hes from where im from, Nanjemoy MD
It seems like Peary if not for the pressures of society at the time. Especially if he wrote in the heading of Henson’s book.
This is why some don’t want history taught, not his story
Matthew Henson is a celebrated explorer, at least where I come from. I literally didn't know until I was a young adult that someone else was claiming to be first at the north pole.
Wow i remember learning about him in elementary school. Hopefully he is becoming more recognized!
Wow thank you this series is going to continue to be amazing I'm sure
This is a really cool story I hadn't heard about before! 😯
The first people at the North Pole recognized by the West were a Black man and Inuit people--and I'm only finding this out in my late 40s?? Institutional racism is a powerful force.
I mean, we all know the Pole was the Inuit people's stomping grounds and every expedition would invariably include their being exploited, so that part isn't huge news to me 😔
But I never knew about Matthew A. Henson! I'm glad he's now getting the recognition and celebration he was so wrongfully denied most of his life 🤎🤎🤎
What a remarkable and brave gentleman! I hope more people are learning about him now! Matthew the Kind One, thank you
Respect, Mr Henson!
A movie would not be long enough. This would be an incredible limited series!
Great work!! There is a great book I used to read to my students about Henson. He was also great with medical skills. That was almost 30 years ago. I don't remember the name of the book, but I see that amazon has several books on him now.
A Black discovered Electricity and Caucasians invented the Electric Bill. That should explain everything you need to know.
He is related to Taraji Henson.✌✌✔✔☺☺
Y'all have to do thousands of these now.
through studying the real history, it is clear that 100 percent of aristocrats of the period were crappy, only with some positive attributes and accolades.
Thank you for this video. I learned about this guy in elementary school but could never remember his name as a adult
Fascinating story from our US history!
I enjoy facts like this very much!
It's just heart-breaking to learn of the way people have been treated, it dampens the feeling of celebration I'd like to feel for Henson and the guides. He deserved to be celebrated and experience the energy.
They left New York on July sixth and arrived in Ellesmere Island on September fifth...they're both in the same time zone, so the dates were the same in both places.
Way to go Explorer Extraordinaire Matthew Henson 👏
Your life is an inspiration to black people and may we never forget your name ✨️ ❤️
My teacher in the 60s taught about him. She was a black woman. Glad to see someone else talking about him.
PBS Origins always enlightening!
"The Roosevelt's crew consisted of 50 MEN and 246 dogs..." Even dogs weren't as excluded as women were? 😥
I read about Henson 65 years ago. Hie name and presence were acknowledged in every account I've read since.
Gen X urban dwellers from NYC know Mathew Henson. Stevie Wonder wrote a song with lyrics about him. It's on the Songs in the key of Life album. " It's time we learned this world was made for all men".
The first person's were the Natives not Henson not the Caucasians.
Shhhh PBS still hates the real people of this country, they know they control black people still and they will never control indigenous people so they’re never going to get any acknowledgment
Henson’s achievement is remarkable but why are we praising anyone for aristocrat behavior for fame and glory?
I just laugh when people ‘achieve’ gross hording of resources or becoming famous or competing with those who aren’t focused on doing something for the other humans in this place.
They just hope the indigenous who survived the genocide pipe down or water down with the Holocaust laws that are STILL on the books lmao
Then they send the black folks to kill the native folks for them and want me to praise that smdh
I’m sorry that blood’s on their hands, this place is broken
PBS kept deleting my comments because I said I wouldn’t praise the Buffalo Soldiers though I understood their terrible choice
But I won’t praise them. Doing the dirty work of the whites by killing indigenous women and children just trying to live is not worthy of praise.
Remember folks, the US state is simply a cash grab for the unfathomably wealthy European families who genocided it and they ALL profited from enslaving black folks.
No one lives on the North Pole, they live in the outer regions of the Artic, not the dead center. Waaaay too cold to explore or live there, that's why it was so astonishing when Henson discovered it.
@@chewycooking9013 logics would tell you at some time they passed through there
@@victorjohnson4971 North Pole is mostly shifting sea ice for a good few miles, if they went there it was probably a one-time thing, and they didn't really care about the North Pole all that much to seek it out
LMAO 🤣 they had to show the explorers how to get there😅😂😂😂
They need to make a movie about this guy.
Read about a man named York, who was pivotal in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Why isn't this taught in schools? Why do only learn this from places like Pbs? Thanks Pbs.❤
Thank you for presenting this history. ❤
I've never heard of that story, thank You for sharing. The truth is finally coming Out. Isaac from Uganda
I went to Matthew Henson Elementary School in P. G. County MD in the 1980s. Unfortunately, the school is now shut down.
Thank you for sharing this bit of history!
Erased from history? I learned about Matthew Henson when I was a 3 or 4 year old child. My parents bought African American History flash cards for my sister and I to study. The cards had the name of the African American inventor/explorer/revolutionary/etc... On the back of the cards had all the information about the person. I suggest people to seek out African American books for their kids. You cannot rely on the public school system. Matthew Henson is actress Taraji P Henson's great great grand uncle.
Very nice piece. I got a chance to meet his descendants, very nice people.
Thank you for this awesome reminder!! I hope kids of all races will learn this and be inspired. There were some facts in this video that I myself never knew. Great Job!!
the montage at the end brought me to teaaaars, this was amazing 🥹 so grateful to now know this story
Great story well told!