Matthew Alexander Henson (August 8, 1866 - March 9,1955) was a Black American explorer who was the first person to stand on the North Pole. Born in 1866, Henson began is travels as cabin boy on a tall sailing ship at the age of 12. He became the personal assistant to Captain Robert Peary to begin an exploration of Nicaragua in the hopes of finding a potential route for what ultimately became the Panama Canal. From 1891-1892 Henson served with Peary as navigator and craftsman through several expeditions to the Arctic regions of Greenland. He mastered a variety of skills including dog mushing and sled building. There he became fluent in the Inuit language and was known as “Matthew The Kind One” to the native people.

After several failed attempts Henson and Peary reached the North Pole supported by four Inuits named Ooqueah, Ootah, Egingwah, and Seegloo on April 6, 1909. As he was in the lead sled it was Henson’s feet that first pressed the spot at the top of the world, where the team planted an American flag.

Henson’s evolvement in the expedition was mostly ignored by the general public, giving all credit to Peary for the accomplishment. But in 1954 Henson was invited to the White House by President Dwight Eisenhower to receive a special commendation for his early work as an explorer on the behalf of the United States of America. Henson’s final resting place is at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. where a bronze plaque commemorates his achievements.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/the-legacy-of-arctic-explorer-matthew-henson

The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.

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To honor the legacy of the innovator of Arctic exploration and winter adventure, Matthew Alexander Henson, this program aims to inspire people of color to embrace cold weather activities and to build the necessary skill set to thrive (not just survive) during extreme low-temperature expeditions. The program focuses on emerging outdoor guides or people with current or future positions of leadership in the outdoor industry.

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