A Negro Explorer at the North Pole By Matthew A Henson About his quest for the North with Admiral Peary. Receiving many honors posthumously, Matthew Henson was much overlooked throughout his entire career as an explorer. Though he traveled throughout the northern hemisphere and is acknowledged the first man to reach the North Pole, his accomplishments were overshadowed by his colleague, Commander Robert Perry. Henson faced and overcame many of the limitations and struggles inherent for African Americans at the time. Orphaned at a young age, Henson worked hard to earn his way from being...