CuriPow offers a daily look at diverse historical contributions

As a kid, Brian Galvin was into comic books. While he took in plenty of tales of heroes with superpowers, it was comics with a firm footing in history introduced to him by his mother that made perhaps a more lasting impression.

The comics depicted the real-life accomplishments African American heroes such as Benjamin Banneker, George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass made a serious impact on Galvin. So he was surprised that more of these adventures weren’t part of the main narrative in school history classes.

With CuriPow, Galvin is looking to spread the stories and accomplishments of people of color. Each day, the platform offers a quick look at one story. With an option to receive a daily newsletter, it’s a check-in that can become routine, while providing some lesser-known facts about the country. It chronicles stories from the first Chinese-American movie star, Anna May Wong, and the first African American to run for president, George Edwin Taylor.

“We all contribute to this country. We all contribute to this world, and I think it’s cool to be able to see a lot of the things that a lot of other folks have done, but don’t get the recognition,” Galvin said.

It also addresses the discrimination faced by people of color throughout history. One entry, for instance, discusses California’s Foreign Miner Tax of the 1850s and its disproportionate affects on Chinese immigrants.

Dr. Bhagat Singh Thind was the first turbaned Sikh to serve in the U.S. military. He's not only a veteran but an American. Never judge a book by its cover. Check out his story at https://t.co/dO0h5hyrct. #iammyhistory #weshareourstories #dctech pic.twitter.com/d3SfPYV4R3

— CuriPow (@CuriPow) June 13, 2018

Based in DuPont Circle, Galvin is working with a team of three. He also spends lots of time unearthing the stories at the Library of Congress.

The platform is built using Progressive Web Apps, which are built to combine desktop and mobile experiences (and be used comfortably in both mediums, as well).

“It’s not a new new technology, but it’s a lot more streamlined doesn’t carry as much weight and you have a lot of flexibility with it,” he said.

He also recently released an audio feature called CuriShorts.

Galvin plans to expand to other countries such as the Europe, the UK and Australia, and offer the stories of people of color in those countries, as well.