Barbara Hillary (adventurer)

Barbara Hillary (born June 12, 1931 in San Juan Hill, Manhattan, currently known as Lincoln Center[1]) was the first known African-American woman to reach the North Pole, which she did at the age of 75 in 2007.[2] She subsequently reached the South Pole in January 2011 at the age of 79, becoming the first African-American woman to reach both poles.[3]

Early life

Barbara was born in New York City, New York on June 12, 1931 to Viola Jones Hillary. She was raised in Harlem and went to the New School University in New York, N.Y. where she earned both her Bachelor of Arts and master's degrees. She used her studies in Gerontology to start a career in nursing, where she focused on training staff in the concepts of patient aging and their service delivery systems in nursing homes and similar facilities. She was also founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Peninsula Magazine, a non-profit and multi-racial magazine in Queens, New York. This magazine was the first of its kind in the region.[4]

At 67, Barbara survived lung cancer. She, as a result had surgery that caused her to lose 25% of her breathing capacity. This was her second time with cancer, having previously survived breast cancer the first time in her 20s. After she had retirement from nursing, she became enticed by the idea of Arctic travel. After she had photographed polar bears in Manitoba, Canada, she was infatuated with a love of the North. When she learned that no black woman had reached the North Pole, she was determined to become the first one to do so.[4]

Barbara Hillary dedicated her travel to the North Pole to her mother, Viola Jones Hillary, who moved from the “Low country” of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to New York City in the 1930s to give Barbara and her sister, Dorothy Hillary Aranda, a chance for a better education. Barbara Hillary’s father died when she was only one year old.[4]

Hillary has also had a notable career in community activism. She is the founder of the Arverne Action Association, Inc., a group dedicated to improving life in Arverne, New York and the Rockaway Peninsula Community.[4]

Trips to the North and South pole

Hillary had raised over $25,000 to fund her expedition to the Arctic. And on April 23, 2007, at the age of 76, Hillary became not only one of the oldest persons to set foot on the North Pole, but also the first African American woman to do so.[4]

Five years after she made history making her journey to the North Pole, Hillary once again made her mark and became the first African American woman on record to stand on the South Pole at age 79 on January 6, 2011.[4]

The first person documented to reach both poles was Roald Amundsen.[5]

After her Trips to both poles

Since her expeditions to the North and South Poles, Hillary has become an inspirational speaker. She has also been the subject of profiles on NBC News and CNN.com, and has given speeches at various organizations such as the National Association for Women (NOW). She continues to plan for future adventures and has announced that she will travel to a new destination that has not yet been revealed at this time.[4]

Barbara's mentions

Barbara was mentioned in the Seattle Times and had a Fox news interview where she described her journey to both poles, including her physical training up to it and her motivations to do so. Barbara also received many awards.[6]

Diversity in science

Why it's important

• The scientific progress relies on problem solving and collaboration therefore groups composed of people with diverse experiences and different areas of expertise tend to be more creative and innovative.[7]

• Because asking questions drives science forward, and scientists with different perspectives often ask different questions. Different questions can lead to new insights and new ideas.[7]

• The ways in which scientists seek answers to questions can be heavily influenced by their values by using different people with various backgrounds there can be many new discoveries, and new techniques often lead to new knowledge.[7]

The Age of Exploration

Barbara Hillary was greatly intrigued by exploration even though the age of exploration was before her time Barbara did not let that stop her from achieving her drream. The great period of discovery from the latter half of the fifteenth through the sixteenth century is generally referred to as the Age of Exploration. It is exemplified by the famous navigator, Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), who undertook a voyage to the New World under the auspices of the Spanish monarchs, Isabella I of Castile (r. 1474–1504) and Ferdinand II of Aragon (r. 1479–1516). The Museum’s jerkin (26.196) and helmet (32.132) beautifully represent the type of clothing worn by the people of Spain during this period. The age is also recognized for the first English voyage around the world by Sir Francis Drake (ca. 1540–1596), who claimed the San Francisco Bay for Queen Elizabeth; Vasco da Gama’s (ca. 1460–1524) voyage to India, making the Portuguese the first Europeans to sail to that country and leading to the exploration of the west coast of Africa; Bartolomeu Dias’ (ca. 1450–1500) discovery of the Cape of Good Hope; and Ferdinand Magellan’s (1480–1521) determined voyage to find a route through the Americas to the east, which ultimately led to discovery of the passage known today as the Strait of Magellan.[8]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ↑ Barbara Hillary Biography.
  2. ↑ Barr, Meghan (March 26, 2016). "75-year-old cancer survivor skis to North Pole". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  3. ↑ Alford, Henry (February 28, 2011). "My Unhealthy Diet? It Got Me This Far". New York Times. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Barbara Hillary | Explorer". barbarahillary.com. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  5. ↑ "Vintage News". The Vintage News. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  6. ↑ "75-year-old cancer survivor skis to North Pole". The Seattle Times. 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  7. 1 2 3 "Why is Diversity Important for Science?". Society of Physics Students. 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  8. ↑ Voorhies, Author: James. "Europe and the Age of Exploration | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art". The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
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