Today In Black History: Dr. Marian Croak
Developer of VoIP and Text-to-Donate Technology
Issue #691 Today In Black History, Monday, August 5, 2024
Did you know you can listen to each “We Are Speaking” post on the Substack App? Download the app!
Help us to reach our August 2024 goals: +250 total new subscribers, including +100 new paid subscribers:
Please share and subscribe to help us grow our publication.
Who are your “Fav Five” who would enjoy “We Are Speaking?” Send them the link!
If you like us, REALLY like us, please click the “Like” button at the end of this post!
We appreciate your support!
Today’s Black History WOW!
Dr. Marian Croak was born in New York City on May 14, 1955. She pursued her academic journey at Princeton University, earning her Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Doctorate in Quantitative Analysis and Psychology from the University of Southern California.
Her professional career began at Bell Laboratories in 1982, where she embarked on groundbreaking work in telecommunications. Dr. Croak's most notable contribution is the development of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. VoIP has transformed how we communicate, allowing voice communication to be transmitted over the Internet, thereby replacing traditional telephone networks and enhancing global connectivity. This innovation has fundamentally altered the landscape of both personal and business communication, making it more efficient and accessible.
Over her career, Dr. Croak has been credited with more than 200 patents, including the framework for text-to-donate technology, which revolutionized charitable giving and the response to crises. This technology was notably used during the relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Dr. Croak also served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at AT&T. Her leadership has inspired countless young professionals, especially women and minorities in STEM fields, encouraging them to break barriers and pursue their aspirations.
In 2022, Dr. Croak was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. She has also been honored with the IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal and the Women in Technology Hall of Fame Award.
Today In Black History
In 1864, President Andrew Johnson reversed the policy of distributing abandoned land to freed enslaved men.
In 1864, Black gunman John Lawson and Black landsman William Brown, who fought on the flagship USS Hartford, both won the Congressional Medal of Honor for courage in the Battle of Mobile Bay.
In 1892, Harriet Tubman was awarded a pension from Congress for her work as a nurse, spy, and scout during the Civil War.
In 1928, William A. Scott, III found the Atlanta Daily World, the first contemporary Black daily newspaper.
In 1960, the African nation of Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) gained its independence from France.
In 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested near Howick, South Africa, and charged with incitement. He eventually served 29 years in prison.
In 1966, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was stoned during a march in Chicago.
In 2023, the Montgomery, Alabama, waterfront brawl began when a Black riverboat captain was attacked by white boaters.
Our paid subscribers are encouraged to discuss this post in our W.A.S. Chat Community.
Join Pamela Hilliard Owens’s subscriber chat
Available in the Substack app and on the web
You are also welcome to view “We Are Speaking” in Substack Notes. You can also read other Substack publications without subscribing to them when you join Notes.