Beaumont’s federal prison camp has been an experience I will never forget in my life. The most beautiful part of this journey has been some of the men I have met, and the library department here on campus. The library here is small, but the shelves are packed with some of the most enriched reading material that has positively impacted my life.
I have been studying African American history, with specific regard to African American inventors and scholars. The men and women listed below have made revolutionary inventions and discoveries that have dramatically changed our world, and how we do things today. I was embarrassed that I had never heard of these African American inventors until discovering them on the bookshelves here. These are an accumulation of various men and women I’ve studied over a 7-month period.
10 African American Inventors & Pioneers
- Thomas Jennings
Invented the “Dry Cleaning” process that revolutionized the way clothes were cleaned. He received the patent for the dry-cleaning process in 1821. - Granville T. Woods
Known as “The Black Edison”. He holds over 50 patents for inventions mostly all stemming from his revolutionary work in the “railroad industry” in the 1800’s. His most prominent invention was when he patented tunnel construction for electrical railroad systems. - Dr. Charles Richards
In 1938, he developed “Blood Banks” as we know today. He was a physician and surgeon who witnessed countless lives perish due to blood loss, and he sought to find a solution. He discovered that adding an anticoagulant to blood would prevent it from clotting allowing it to be stored. His invention came at a critical time during World War 2 when soldiers needed blood transfusions from battle injuries. - Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson
Invented and patented the “Fiber Optic Cable”. She was the first female African American who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in nuclear physics in 1973. Her invention transformed telecommunication as we know today allowing us high speed internet service, as well as the ability for making long distance phone calls affordable for everyone. - Alexander Miles
Inventor and patent holder for “Automatic Elevator Doors” in 1887. His device was invented from a horrific tragedy he witnessed in an elevator accident. His technology not only made elevators safer and faster, but it completely reshaped the mindset of architects around the world allowing them to construct taller buildings and taller skyscrapers. - Roy Clay
Known as “The Godfather of Silicon Valley”. He developed and invented the “Computer Chip” as we know today in 1966. He was a founding member of Hewlett Packard (HP) and a high level board member of Intel and Apple. - Joseph A. Smith
Received the patent in 1897 for his invention of the “Lawn Sprinkler”. His invention revolutionized irrigation methods used today all around the world. - Dr. Mary Van Britton Brown
In 1966, she Invented and patented the first “home security system” used in homes around the world. Her invention was birthed because she lived in a rough neighborhood in New York and was concerned for her safety while her husband was away at work. - Garrett Morgan
Invented and patented the “Gas Mask” in 1914. This invention was groundbreaking during a time when miners needed to have these kinds of masks while working underground.
Garrett Morgan also invented our “3 Light Traffic Signal”!
He witnessed an accident between a horse carriage and vehicle in 1923 that left him traumatized. He vowed to himself to try and prevent this from happening again. He sold this technology to an electric company for pennies on the dollar! - Frederick McKinley Jones
He developed the “1st Refrigerated Trucks” in the 1930’s. This was an absolute game changer for the world. There was a real need to be able to transport food items over long distances without the food spoiling. His refrigerated trucks made a way for this to happen then and still today. Frederick McKinley Jones was the 1st African American to receive “The National Medal of Technology Award in 1944.”
On a secondary note, he also invented the “Automatic Movie ticket dispensing machine” in the 1920’s.
When I learned about these inventors, some from over 100 years ago, I gained a stronger appreciation for these technologies we use today. From the modern-day lawn sprinkler, home alarm system, fiber optic cable, 3 light traffic signal, automatic elevator doors, blood banks, dry cleaning, and refrigerated trucks were invented by African Americans during a period in our country where slavery and racism were more prevalent. These short paragraphs are only a small highlight of what they contributed to our world today, but by no means tells the story of what they had to endure and overcome to manifest their desires.
What I learned from these men and women is strength in their perseverance. To persevere means to persist in a state despite counter influences. Can you think of a situation where you looked at another person’s life to draw on strength for your own? In my life now, I lean on those who have done extraordinary achievements under difficult circumstances. I discovered empowerment to complete my goals from those who have paved a righteous path to follow.
These inventors had success, but they all experienced many failures in route to glory. This is why I find it worthy to study people’s successes, but I take a harder look at their failures to understand how they navigated the rough waters.
“Failure lies concealed in every success, and success in every failure.”
Amber Hudson