Happy Women’s History Month! This is the time of year to celebrate the trials and tribulations us as women have been through in order to make it in this society. Black women have invented creations that we use in everyday life.
Madam C.J. Walker
Known as one of the first self-made millionaires, Madam C.J. Walker made millions by selling hair products. After developing hair loss issues due to her working environment, she developed certain cosmetics to help not only her, but others around her from their sufferings.
Patricia Bath
Bath was an advocate for preventing and treating blindness. Not only was she the first African American to complete a medical residency in ophthalmology, but she also co-founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness and established a new discipline known as community ophthalmology. She also became the first black woman doctor to receive a medical patent when she created the Laserphaco Probe, a new device for cataract surgery.
Anna Arnold Hedgeman
Hedgeman was an African American Civil Rights Leader, writer, educator, and politician. She is accredited with being the Executive Director of Harry Truman’s 1948 presidential campaign, a position that is seldom given to African Americans. She is one of the founders of NOW (National Organization for Women) which advocated for education, feminism, and poverty issues.
Lyda D. Newman
Do you carry a brush wherever you go? You can thank Lyda D. Newman for that one. Her brush had evenly separated bristles, slots that kept dirt and hair neatly contained, and a detachable compartment for easy cleaning. The artificial bristles Newman used were similar to the plastic ones used today.
Valerie Thomas
Movies in the third dimension catch the audience’s eye in the sense of seeing things coming straight at you, but movies weren’t always like that. In the late ’70s, Thomas discovered that concave mirrors can create the illusion of a 3 dimensial objects and began experimenting with how she could visually transmit the 3D illusion.
Alice H. Parker
The heating system was invented by Alice H. Parker. She designed a “natural gas fueled” system with new and improved conditions. This got the ground running for similar hot furnaces and thermostats found in the home.
These are just a few of the inventions made by the greatness of a black woman. We have come a long way in terms of getting our names out there, along with making sure our work isn’t mistaken for another.