We all know about MLK, Marcus Garvey, and the other famous, more prominent black figures in history, but what about the less famous ones who have made, arguably as valuable, contributions?
Cheryl "Peaches" Delaney of Englewood, NJ, was working the night shift at a McDonald's in 1974. The 16 year-old high school junior had just been severely reprimanded by her manager, one Arnold McFarland, over her Afro hairdo being unprofessional. McFarland gave her an ultimatum of wearing a clown hat or being fired, and Delaney, working to save money for cosmetology school, relented and wore the clown hat.
Hours later, she noticed several of her classmates at the drive-through window, on their way to a party. Luscious Jones, Fred Williams, Eddie James, and Derrick Smith were riding in a green AMC Pacer. The four of them ordered four hamburgers, and were going to split three orders of fries and two Cokes.
Peaches, filling the order, noticing that McFarland (the manager) had taken his nightly thirty-minute bathroom break, had an epiphany. She locked eyes with LaWanda, who was on fries, and Fat Sam, who was on the register and in a blur of motion, they stuffed 4 jumbo bags with every single hamburger, cheeseburger, french fry, cookie, and other item they could find, accepting $1.01 from Luscious Jones as payment.
Cheryl "Peaches" Delaney had invented................"The Hook-Up."
We salute you Ms. Cheryl "Peaches" Delaney... A Black Leader in African-American History!
