Five Black Inventors and Technology Pioneers You Should Know
When most of us think about inventions like the lightbulb, air conditioning, and telephones, we often think of reputable names like Thomas Edison, Willis Carrier, and Alexander Graham Bell. However, there are many important Black inventors often overlooked in history.
That’s why throughout Black History Month, we set out to showcase these incredible people and their contributions that changed the way we live. Every week in February on our social channels, we highlighted a new Black inventor and their impactful work. And as Black History Month comes to a close, we’re sharing five more amazing stories of Black technology inventors. These Black Americans played a profound role in making our lives as we know it easier, by developing devices and products that we use or interface with every day.
1. Lewis Latimer
Notable inventions: carbon filament light bulb (1881), early air conditioner (1886)
Son of fugitive slaves, Latimer was an electrical pioneer who worked closely with Alexander Graham Bell as his patent draftsman for the telephone. In 1884, he was invited to work for Thomas Alva Edison, where he improved upon Edison’s invention of the incandescent lightbulb. By encasing Edison’s bamboo lightbulb filaments in cardboard, Latimer made the lightbulbs more durable and last longer. He later went on to patent the manufacturing process for efficiently creating the carbon filament in 1882. In 1886, the patent for an early air conditioner was also registered in his name.
2. Lyda Newman
Notable invention: hairbrush with synthetic bristles (1898)
Lyda Newman was the third Black woman to ever receive a U.S. patent. In addition to receiving the patent for the first-ever hairbrush with synthetic bristles, she was also a fervent activist for women’s voting rights throughout the first decade of the twentieth century.
3. Garrett Morgan
Notable inventions: gas mask safety hood and smoke protector (1914), three-position traffic light (1923)
In 1914, Morgan received the patent for the gas mask safety hood and smoke protector. His breathing device laid the groundwork for the gas masks used in World War I, which protected soldiers from toxic gas used in warfare. After witnessing a spectacular automobile accident at a busy intersection in Cleveland, Ohio, Morgan designed an automated traffic signal with a “warning” position, paving the way for the three-light traffic signal that regulates traffic on the streets today. He received the U.S. patent for his t-shaped, three-position traffic signal in 1923.
4. Dr. James E. West
Notable inventions: Electroacoustic Transducer Electret Microphone (1964)
During his tenure at Bell Laboratories, Dr. West partnered with scientist Gerhard M. Sessler to invent the electret transducer in order to create an inexpensive compact microphone, patented in 1964. Their invention helped create the industry standard for microphones. Today, over 90 percent of microphones — including cell phones, baby monitors, video recorders and hearing aids — use their technology.
5. Marian Croak
Notable inventions: Voice Over Internet Protocol pioneer, text-to-donate technology (2005)
In 2011, Croak got the patent for the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOiP), which converts voice into digital signals that can be transmitted on the internet. With over 200 patents under her belt, she has been serving as Google’s Vice President for the past six years, overseeing their research and development on responsible artificial intelligence (AI).
DID YOU KNOW?
American singer-songwriter Prince holds a U.S. patent for a keytar he created. Named the Purpleaxxe, he received the official patent in 1994.
Who are some of your favorite Black pioneers in science and technology? Let us know in the comments below.