Black Americans have played an important role in shaping the world into what it is today. From caller ID to 3D movies to traffic lights, they have transformed technology. Black inventors and innovators have led us to many awesome things that we can’t live without today.
You might have heard about inventions like the cotton gin, the light bulb, or even the iPhone. However, countless inventions are often overlooked that have made an impact on all of our lives and made things easier for us. Let’s take a look at some amazing black innovators and their inventions.
Garrett Morgan’s Traffic Signal
In 1923, the three-lights traffic signal was born. Garrett Morgan is a black man who didn’t just invent the traffic lights we see today but also the gas masks and sewing machines. He improved the traffic signals, and his invention is the reason behind road safety today. He filed for the patent for it in 1923 and received it the next year.
Frederick McKinley Jones’s Refrigerated Trucks
The credit for our refrigerators goes to Frederick McKinley Jones. He got the patent for refrigerated trucks in 1940. His idea was that goods should be refrigerated during transportation as well. He needed a patent for a roof-mounted cooling system.
He has filed for over 60 patents in his entire life, and he is also the co-founder of the U.S. Thermo Control Company. This company played a huge role in preserving supplies, including blood and food, during WWII.
Alexander Miles’ Automated Elevator Doors
Alexander Miles is the reason we can use elevators every single day when we want to avoid climbing stairs. The modern-day elevator has automatic doors, which make elevators easy to use.
Before this invention, elevator doors were risky and complicated to use. People had to manually shut these doors before the elevator would go up or down. This also led to people falling down the elevator shafts.
The African American inventor’s daughter also almost suffered from this, which led to him saving the lives of many others through his invention. His design is used in many elevators today.
Sarah Boone’s Ironing Board
Sarah Boone is responsible for bringing us an improved ironing board. It is a simple, everyday product that is often overlooked and overshadowed by other huge inventions. But Sarah Boone is one of the first African American women who received a patent for their inventions and innovations in 1858.
Sarah’s ironing board was made of a wooden block. She then added features like a curved, narrow design, which has turned into the ironing boards that are used in today’s modern world. Thanks, Sarah!
Black people were enslaved for centuries before their children were able to change the world through these inventions. The Warrior Princess and the Invisible Gold Bracelet is a children’s adventure fiction ebook by Mercy Anim. It shows the lives of Black Americans living in slavery through a little nine-year-old girl’s eyes. It’s an amazing ebook on the lives of Black Americans.
Buy The Warrior Princess ebook. Contact us to learn more.