'Know Their Names': Winnipeg councillor helping mark Black History Month

A t-shirt created by Winnipeg city councillor Markus Chambers which showcases the names of Black people and their inventions throughout history. (Submitted by Markus Chambers)

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg city councillor is helping mark Black History Month with his own creation.

Markus Chambers is recognizing Black inventors with a t-shirt that says 'Know Their Names.' On the back of the shirt is a list of people of colour and what they have invented.

"I was inspired by the movie Hidden Figures and seeing the story of three women that were responsible for the calculations that helped the United States enter into the space race," Chambers said.

He said these were stories that he didn't know and it resulted in him doing his own research into Black history and contributions.

"There is a vast amount of inventions that were done that are not widely known that it was a Black individual that had made that invention," he said.

Markus Chambers and Mayor Brian Bowman are seen wearing Know Their Names shirts. (Submitted by Markus Chambers)

Some of the inventions that Chambers found were things like the elevator, the lawn mower, the traffic light, the cell phone, the filament inside the lightbulb and even the GPS.

Chambers said this list shows that Black people have had equal contributions throughout history.

"We all can contribute to our collective communities and to society in general and race should not be a factor that holds us back, but recognizing that we are all equal and that we all can contribute equally to making our journey that much easier," he said.

Paul Maurice is seen wearing a Know Their Names shirt. (Submitted by Markus Chambers)

As part of this project, Chambers said around 3,000 shirts will be going to high school students throughout Winnipeg for free, thanks to a partnership with Black History Manitoba.

"Students are education ambassadors that will assist us in disseminating this information," Chambers said.

He said one of the other features on this shirt is a QR code, which people can scan and it will give them more information on Black history.

Chambers has also been receiving some support from athletes and coaches in the city, such as Paul Maurice and Blake Wheeler with the Winnipeg Jets and Andrew Harris with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler is seen wearing a Know Their Names shirt. (Submitted by Markus Chambers)

"These are the kinds of leaders that some of our kids look up to. So I think it will be very well supported that way," Chambers said.

Chambers said this campaign will not only run for the rest of February but he plans to continue this for the rest of the year.