Did you know that a good number of the things humanity enjoys today were created by African American inventors? When we hear about people who invented things, especially amazing gadgets and groundbreaking technologies, people of African heritage are usually rarely featured. It seems far easier to believe that the white race is behind such an incredible invention.
However, you might be interested to know that a good number of people of African heritage, especially African Americans living in the US, are amazing inventors. In fact, some of the inventions used today were invented by African Americans. For example, Ms. CJ Walker is the very first self-made woman becoming a millionaire in America. She is the brains behind the beauty products phenomenon that has grown into a billion dollar industry today.
Also, many don’t know George WashingtonCarver, one of the African-American inventors who was instrumental in revolutionizing the agricultural industry. George Washington Carver invented peanut butter. And thanks to the Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures , we’re all now familiar with the amazing contributions of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.
It’s unfortunate, however, that the media rarely give them the exposure they need. The internet has compensated for this as anyone can get the recognition he/she deserves no matter what race or creed they belong to. With this article, we want to spotlight just a few of the great African American inventors who left an indelible mark with their groundbreaking inventions. Here are 10 of them.
Famous African American inventors
1. Garrett Morgan
Garrett is the originator of a technology that we still use today. Although born in a small town in Kentucky, he quickly honed his skills in engineering and machinery. This equipped him with the knowledge that he became the brains behind today’s popular traffic lights.
2. Marie Van Brittan Brown
Home security has never been higher after Marie came into the picture. The very first home security was the result of this full-time black nurse. Her idea came while dealing with constant security threats in her home. For this reason, she has developed a system that allows her to raise an alarm and contact the relevant authorities if there is an intrusion into her home as soon as possible.
Their original version included a two-way microphone, monitors, a camera, peepholes, and an alarm button that notifies police immediately when pressed. Their patent helped lay the groundwork for what is now known as a modern day video surveillance system, used for a variety of security needs including traffic enforcement, surveillance, crime prevention and push button alarm triggers.
3. dr Shirley Jackson
She is an inventor exceptional having received her PhD. A physicist at the Institute of Technology in Massachusetts, Shirley, an African American, received her first PhD in nuclear physics from MIT in 1973. Aside from her academic achievements, inventions preceded her.
Some of her notable work involves experimenting with theoretical physics that paved the way for a plethora of advances in telecommunications. This cuts across the portable fax, call waiting, fiber optic cable, caller ID and touch tone phone. She is currently the 18th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York
4. Daniel Hale Williams
Daniel made his mark in the medical field and went down in history as one of the pioneering African American inventors. He has also been called the epitome of black excellence due to his contributions to the inventions that humanity enjoys today. Born in Pennsylvania in 1856, he went on to become a surgeon and physician, the first to successfully perform open-heart surgery.
5. Philip Emeagwali
Just when the world thought they had seen it all when it came to computers and
speed, Nigerian-born Philip Emeagwalidas showed more could be done. As a young man in eastern Nigeria he was always fascinated by nature and the life of bees in general. It was through studying the honeycomb of bees that he got
inspired to build the world’s fastest computer with 65,000 processors, which in turn
gave the computer the ability to perform 3.1 billion calculations per second.
6. Alexander Miles
As an African American inventor, it is documented that Alexander created the device that is now used to open and close elevators. So if you were wondering how great the elevator is and how it works, you have Alex to thank for that. He is also the richest colored man in the Northwest.
7. Lewis Latimer
Lewis, an engineer and inventor, was born in runaway slaves. One of the many African-American inventors, he is credited with inventing one of the first air conditioners and making an intellectual contribution to some of the world’s most important inventions – the lightbulb and the telephone.
8. Lonnie G Johnson
Lonnie decided to go down the path of children’s entertainment. If you ever enjoyed a water gun fight as a kid, he’s why it happened. Although he was not a toy maker but an aerospace engineer for NASA, he invented the Super Soaker water gun. He is currently
trying to develop what he calls the ‘Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (JTEC)’, which when completed is expected to convert heat directly into electricity.
9. Frederick Jones
Frederick is another black inventor who, being self-taught, brought a handful of inventions with him. The most important of his inventions was refrigeration
, a medical revolution that aided in the transportation of medicines, food, and
blood during World War II.
10. Mildred and Mary Davidson
Mildred and her sister Mary are credited for the wonderful inventions they brought to life. Although they had no technical knowledge, one thing they did so well was find ways to improve the lives of others. Both designed the sanitary napkins. A few years later, despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Mary invented the toilet paper holder, the walker, and the moisture-proof belt pouch.