As Black History Month came to an end, I noticed there hadn’t been as much talk. Maybe I’m out of the loop or maybe we’re already starting to neglect this important month. While looking into Black History Month I came across several amazing women of color who have invented things that have shaped our culture.
1. Dr. Patricia Bath
Dr. Bath is the first African-American woman in history to receive a patent for a medical invention. This happened in 1988 when she invented the laserphaco probe, a tool used in laser eye surgery. Her invention has helped tons of people to restore their sight.
2. Dr. Shirley Jackson
Dr. Shirley Jackson was the first African-American woman to graduate with a doctorate in particle physics. Dr. Jackson worked at Bell Telephones where she helped invent things like touch-tone dialing and call-waiting. Her biggest invention, however, is the invention of fiber-optic cables.
3. Miriam E. Benjamin
Miriam E. Benjamin was the inventor of the gong and signal chair and was the second African-American woman to receive a patent. The gong and signal chair is a chair that has a small button that an attendant is notified when it is pressed. It has been used all over the world, but most famously perhaps in the US House of Representatives.
4. Maggie Lena Walker
Maggie Lena Walker was the first African-American woman to charter a bank in the United States. In under 30 years, Walker’s banks had issued over 600 mortgages to African-American families. Maggie’s contribution to society is awesome because it helped so many families to be homeowners.
5. Marva Collins
Marva Collins formed the Westside Preparatory School in Chicago in 1975. She provided education to low-income African-American children whom other schools had turned away because of “learning disabilities.” Collins is very well known for her classroom management.
6. Sarah Breedlove (Madame C.J. Walker)
Sarah Breedlove invented a type of hair care products that would be beneficial to African-Americans. Her business began in 1905 and is still continuing today. With her hair care products she became one of the first self-made millionaires in America.
7. Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson’s work has made her well-known across America. For without her, Neil Armstrong wouldn’t have made it to the moon. Johnson’s calculations made the trek to the moon possible on multiple occasions. She unfortunately very recently passed away in late February 2020. Johnson and her team’s work can be remembered through the movie Hidden Figures.
8. Dr. Gladys West
Dr. Gladys West’s invention is one of the more well-known inventions out of the bunch. Her mathematical calculations led to the invention of the GPS, otherwise known as the Global Positioning System. She also did work to determine the regularity of Pluto’s motion compared to Neptune. Dr. West was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in December 2018.
9. Dr. Mae Jemison
Dr. Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman astronaut ever. She was also the first African-American woman to travel to space as well.
10. Marie Van Brittan Brown
Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system. Marie was a full-time nurse, but recognized the security threats to her home and decided to fix it. Her system included peepholes, cameras, and a button that notified the authorities. Her patent was just the beginning of closed-circuit television systems.