Racism is not something recently invented you all realise?
If you wanted any funding for an idea in America or the western world pre 1980 you better of made sure you had no hahahahahahas touching nothing... even though they might of been the most senior scientists on the team or even the original concept designers you'd need to of hidden every trace of an person of colours involvement, to get more research money.
A good read to understand the mind set
https://www.amazon.com/Negro-Explore.../dp/1931229015
Then understand the English were doing exactly the same long before America was even colonized, its as old as western history itself
So its good you all notice there's a lack of people of colour in your famous people history books, but ya all need to realise, its not that they weren't there, just erased from there, or denied the opportunity for reaching there.