Celebrating Black History Month & Black Inventors
As an African-American-owned firm, The Bassiouni Group takes special pride in celebrating Black History Month. This year, we are highlighting the hundreds of forgotten Black inventors who created many of the pioneering products that we now take for granted such as traffic lights, refrigerated trucks, the carbon-filament light bulb, central heating, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), automatic elevator doors, caller ID/call waiting, home security systems, the blood bank, protective mailbox, lawnmower, peanut butter and many more. Click below for the list of more than 120 inventions. All sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
Gas Mask
Garrett Morgan developed what he called the safety hood after noticing how many firefighters were killed by smoke on the job. The hood, which went over the head, featured tubes connected to wet sponges that filtered out smoke and provided fresh oxygen.
Blood Bank
Charles Richard Drew became interested in researching the preservation of blood when he was studying at Columbia University. Drew discovered a method of separating red blood cells from plasma and then storing the two components separately. This new process allowed blood to be stored for more than a week, which was the maximum at that time. Drew documented these findings in a paper that led to the first blood bank.
Home Security System
African American nurse Mary Van Brittan Brown, devised an early security unit for her own home. She and her husband took out a patent for the system in the same year, and they were awarded the patent three years later, in 1969. Home security systems commonly used today took various elements from her design.
Three-Light Traffic Light
Garrett Morgan was the first Black person in Cleveland, Ohio, to own a car. After he witnessed a severe car accident at an intersection in the city, he expanded on the current traffic light by adding a “yield” component, warning oncoming drivers of an impending stop.
Refrigerated Trucks
Frederick McKinley Jones created a roof-mounted cooling system that was used to refrigerate goods on trucks during extended transportation in the mid-1930s. He received a patent for his invention in 1940 and co-founded the US Thermo Control Company, later known as Thermo King.
Automatic Elevator Doors
Alexander Miles took out a patent in 1887 for a mechanism that automatically opens and closes elevator shaft doors. His designs are largely reflected in elevators used today.
Protective Mailbox
Philip B. Downing created a mailbox design that featured an outer door and an inner safety door to avoid parcels being stolen. This safety device allowed mailboxes to be set up everywhere.
Electret Microphone
Dr. James E. West co-invented a foil electret microphone, which was less expensive to produce than the typically used condenser microphones.
Color IBM PC Monitor and Gigahertz Chip
You can thank Mark Dean for co-inventing the color monitor. Without his invention, we’d still be typing in a colorless interweb.
Super Soaker
Summer just wouldn’t be the same without Lonnie Johnson’s invention. Johnson was an Aerospace Engineer for NASA who’ happened to invent the popular children’s toy.
Tissue Holder
Mary Davidson invented both the tissue holder while disabled from multiple sclerosis.
Folding cabinet bed
In 1885, Sarah Goode became the first Black woman to receive a US patent. She moved to Chicago and opened a furniture store. It was there she came up with an industry changing idea that brought more urban residents with limited space into her store.
Improved Ironing Board
In the late 19th century, the ironing board was improved by Sarah Boone. One of the first Black women in U.S. history to receive a patent, she created a narrower and curved design, making it easier to iron garments. Boone’s design morphed into the modern board that we use today.
Potato Chips
George Crum was working as a chef at a resort in New York. A customer sent his dish of french fries back to the kitchen, claiming that they weren’t good. In an irritated fit, Crum cut the potatoes as thinly as possible, fried them until they were burnt crisps, and threw a generous handful of salt on top. Thus, the chip was born.
Peanut Butter
Everyone and their dog can thank George Washington Carver for the invention of peanut butter.
Laserphaco
Patricia Bath, an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, invented a device and technique used to remove cataracts and revive patients’ eyesight.
Automatic Gear Shift
Richard Spikes created the automatic gear shift, helping people drive up hills everywhere.
Clothes dryer
George T. Sampson created the clothes dryer in 1892.
Dust pan
Thanks to Lloyd P. Ray, we can sweep things out from under the rug.
Folding chair
John Purdy created the folding chair, which is used in picnics and school graduations everywhere.
Golf Tees
Golf was a totally different sport before Dr. George Grant came along.
Ice Cream Scooper
Alfred L. Cralle invented the ice cream scooper, allowing kids to have larger scoops than spoonfuls.
Lawnmower
John Albert Burr fully made over the lawnmower, bringing better traction, rotary blades, and allowed cutting closer to buildings.
Lawn sprinkler
This invention by Joseph A. Smith helped dads everywhere keep their grass green while allowing kids a fun toy to jump around in.
Modern toilet
Thank Thomas Elkins for your porcelain throne. Without Elkins, your bathroom breaks certainly wouldn’t be as comfortable.
The Mop
Thomas W. Stewart created the mop, which helps to ease the backbreaking labor.
Reversible Baby Stroller
William Richardson created the first baby stroller with independent wheels.
Drag Queens
William Dorsey Swann is highly regarded as the first drag queen in the US.
Logomania
Dapper Dan took the logos of designer brands and used them for apparel, furniture, and more.
Dr. Shirley Jackson
Dr. Shirley Jackson is an American physicist who received her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1973. She was the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate in nuclear physics at MIT. In addition to her lengthy list of academic achievements, she also has an impressive number of inventions under her belt.
Her experiments with theoretical physics paved the way for numerous developments in the telecommunication space including the touch-tone telephone, the portable fax, caller ID, call waiting, and the fiber-optic cable.
Today, Dr. Shirley Jackson is the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
Lewis Latimer
Inventor and engineer Lewis Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 4, 1848. He collaborated with science greats Hiram Maxim and Thomas Edison.
One of Latimer’s greatest inventions was the carbon filament, a vital component of the light bulb. His inventions didn’t stop there, working with Alexander Graham Bell, Latimer helped draft the patent for Bell’s design of the telephone. This genius also designed an improved railroad car bathroom and an early air conditioning unit. So the next time you’re escaping a hot day inside your cool house, don’t forget to thank Lewis Latimer.
Marie Van Brittan Brown
Did you know that the first home security system was invented by a Black nurse? Meet Marie Van Brittan Brown. Although she was a full-time nurse, she recognized the security threats to her home and devised a system that would alert her of strangers at her door and contact relevant authorities as quickly as possible.
Her original invention consisted of peepholes, a camera, monitors, and a two-way microphone. The finishing touch was an alarm button that, when pressed, would immediately contact the police. Her patent laid the groundwork for the modern closed-circuit television system that is widely used for surveillance, home security systems, push-button alarm triggers, crime prevention, and traffic monitoring.
Otis Boykin
Otis Boykin’s most notable contribution to science was likely the circuit improvements he made to pacemakers after losing his mother to heart failure — a contribution that has saved countless lives since. But this single improvement was among a long list of achievements.
Boykin had 26 patents in his name and is famed for the development of IBM computers, burglar-proof cash register, chemical air filters, and an electronic resistor used in controlled missiles and other devices.
Lonnie G. Johnson
Did you ever enjoy water gun fights as a kid? Well, meet Lonnie Johnson, the man that gave us the most famous water gun — the Super Soaker. Lonnie wasn’t a toymaker, he was actually an Aerospace Engineer for NASA with a resume boasting a stint with the US Air Force, work on the Galileo Jupiter probe and Mars Observer project, and more than 40 patents.
Yes, he is also working on the Johnson Thermoelectric Energy Converter (JTEC) which converts heat directly into electricity — but it’s the squirt gun he created that has given us all the most joy.
Charles Drew
Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Thanks to Charles Drew, that blood is available. Drew was a physician, surgeon, and medical researcher who worked with a team at Red Cross on groundbreaking discoveries around blood transfusions. In World War II, he played a major role in developing the first large-scale blood banks and blood plasma programs.
He also invented the, and get ready because this name is pretty charming — bloodmobiles. These are the refrigerated trucks that, to this day, safely transport stored blood to the location where it is needed most.
Drew was one of the most prominent doctors working in his field, and one of the only African-Americans, during a time when blood donation was still separated along lines of race. Drew eventually resigned from his position with the American Red Cross over their insistence on adhering to this policy. It was 1950 before the Red Cross finally recognized all blood as being equal.
Marian R. Croak
In 2013, Marian Croak was inducted into Women in Technology International’s hall of fame, a move that recognizes her remarkable achievements in tech. Croak holds over 135 patents, primarily in voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP), some in other areas. She has another 100 patents currently under review.
Today, Marian is an SVP at AT&T, serves as a mentor for women in AT&T labs, and sits on the board for the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Center.
Lisa Gelobter
If you ever enjoyed an animated Gif on the web, like this one amazing clip of a kitten being scared by an iguana, then you have Lisa Gelobter to thank.
Gelobter was integrally involved with the advent of Shockwave, a technology that formed the beginning of web animation. She also played a major role in the emergency of online video, later serving on the senior management team at Hulu.
Previously, Lisa was the Interim Head of Digital for BET Networks and ran Technology, Product and Business Operations. Today, you can catch Lisa at the White House, in the United States Digital Service. She is currently serving as the Chief Digital Service Officer with the US Department of Education.
Philip Emeagwali
Due to cost, Philip Emeagwali was forced to drop out of school at age 14. But this didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest computer pioneers of our time. In fact, he’s often called “The Bill Gates of Africa.”
As an adult, Emeagwali began studying nature, specifically bees. The construction of the honeycombed inspired him to rethink computer processing. In 1989, he put this idea to work, using 65,000 processes to invent the world’s first massively parallel processing supercomputer — able to perform 3.1 billion calculations per second. That same year, Emeagwali received the Gordon Bell Prize for his application of the CM-2 massively-parallel computer.
Jesse Ernest Wilkins, Jr.
Jesse Ernest Wilkins, Jr. is one of America’s most important contemporary mathematicians. At 13, he became the University of Chicago’s youngest student. Wilkins continued his studies there, earning bachelor, master, and eventually earning his doctorate degree in mathematics at the age of 19.
He’s published papers in mathematics, optics, and nuclear engineering. As a mathematician for the American Optical Company in Buffalo, N.Y., he perfected lens design for microscopes and ophthalmologic uses. His greatest contribution to scholarship was the development of mathematical models to explain gamma radiation and his work on developing a shielding against gamma radiation.
His other claim to fame came from working on the Manhattan Project. At the Manhattan Project, Wilkins worked with future Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner and made significant contributions to nuclear-reactor physics, now known as the Wilkins effect and the Wigner-Wilkins spectrum.
Elijah McCoy
Often regarded as one of the most famous black inventors ever, McCoy was credited for 50 inventions over the span of his career.
In an effort to improve efficiency and eliminate the frequent stopping necessary for lubrication of trains, McCoy devised a method of automating the task. In 1872 he developed a “lubricating cup” that could automatically drip oil when and where needed — vital in avoiding sticking to the track. The lubricating cup met with enormous success and orders for it came in from railroad companies all over the country. It was so popular that when other inventors attempted to steal his idea and sell their own versions of the device, companies were not fooled. They insisted on the authentic device, calling it “the Real McCoy.”
Garrett Morgan
Those who survived either of the World Wars thanks to a gas mask have Garrett Morgan to thank. Morgan first created the “safety hood” to help firefighters navigate smokey buildings, later modifying it to carry its own air supply— making it the world’s first effective gas masks.
He also had the good sense to add a third position to the traffic signal — yes, there was a time when traffic signals just said indicated “stop” or “go” — an addition that further reduced automobile accidents.
Mary and Mildred Davidson
Mary and her sister Mildred patented many practical inventions. They didn’t have technical education, but they were both exceptional at spotting ways to make peoples’ lives better. Together, they invented the sanitary belt. Later, Mary invented the moisture-resistant pocket for the belt. While disabled from multiple sclerosis, Mary went on to invent the walker and the toilet-tissue holder.
According to the Black Inventors Museum, all of these were also created by Black inventors:
Rotary Engine — Andrew J. Beard
Car Coupler — Andrew J. Beard
Letter Box — G.E. Becket
Stainless Steel Pads — Alfred Benjamin
Torpedo Discharger — H. Bradberry
Disposable Syringe — Phil Brooks
Corn Planter — Henry Blair
Cotton Planter — Henry Blair
Street Sweepers — C.B. Brooks
Horse Bridle Bit — L.F. Brown
Horseshoe — Oscar E. Brown
Train Alarm — R.A. Butler
Image Converter
Radiation Detector
Paints and Stans — George W. Carver
Lotions and Soaps — George W. Carver
Automatic Fishing Reel — George Cook
Ice Cream Mold — A.L. Cralle
Printing Press — W.A. Lavalette
Laser Fuels — Lester Lee
Pressure Cooker — Maurice W. Lee
Window Cleaner — A.L. Lewis
Portable Pencil Sharpener — John L. Love
Envelope Seal — F.W. Leslie
Fire Extinguisher — Tom J. Marshal
Shoe Lasting Machine — Jan Matzeliger
Rocket Catapult — Hugh MacDonald
Hair Brush — Lyda Newman
Heating Furnace — Alice H. Parker
Blimp — J.F. Pickering
Hand Stamp — W.B. Purvis
Fountain Pen — W.B. Purvis
Dust Pan — I.P. Ray
Insect Destroyer Gun — A.C. Richardson
Sugar Refinement — N. Rillieux
Cellular Phone — Henry Sampson
Curtain Rod — S.R. Scottron
Urinalysis Machine — Dewey Sanderson
Player Piano — Joseph Dickinson
Arm for Record Player — Joseph Dickinson
Door Stop — O. Dorsey
Door Knob — O. Dorsey
Photo Print Wash — Clatonia J. Dorticus
Photo Embossing Machine — Clatonia J. Dorticus
Guitar — Robert Flemming Jr.
Motor — J. Gregory
Thermo Hair Curlers — Solomon Harper
Lantern — Michael Harney
Gas Burner — B.F. Jackson
Kitchen Table — H.A. Jackson
Bicycle Frame — Issac R. Johnson
Wrench — John A. Johnson
Eye Protector — P. Johnson
Egg Beater — W. Johnson
Air Conditioning Unit — Frederick M. Jones
Two-cycle Gas Engine — Frederick M. Jones
Internal Combustion Engine — Frederick M. Jones
Starter Generator — Frederick M. Jones
Refrigeration Controls — Frederick M. Jones
Clothes Dresser — John H. Jordan
Bottle Caps — Jones and Long
Electric Lamp — Latimer and Nichols
Hydraulic Shock Absorber — Ralph Sanderson
Refrigerator — J. Standard
Stairclimbing Wheelchair — Rufus J. Weaver
Fire Escape Ladder — J.B. Winters
Telephone Transmitter — Granville T. Woods
Electric cut-Off Switch — Granville T. Woods
Relay Instrument — Granville T. Woods
Telephone System — Granville T. Woods
Electro Mech Brake — Granville T. Woods
Galvanic Battery — Granville T. Woods
Roller Coaster — Granville T. Woods
Auto Air Brake — Granville T. Woods
Helicopter — Paul E. Williams
Ice Cream — Augustus Jackson
Pace Maker — Otis Boykin
Space Shuttle Retrieval Arm — WM. Harwell
Programmable Remote Controllers — Joseph N. Jackson
Video Commander — Joseph N. Jackson
Pace Maker — Otis Boykin
Space Shuttle Retrieval Arm — WM. Harwell
Programmable Remote Controllers — Joseph N. Jackson
Video Commander — Joseph N. Jackson
Pace Maker — Otis Boykin
Space Shuttle Retrieval Arm — WM. Harwell
Programmable Remote Controllers — Joseph N. Jackson
Video Commander — Joseph N. Jackson
Multi-Stage Rocket — Adolph Shamms
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