Black History Month Part I - How Many African American Inventors Can You Name?

In 1977 I was in elementary school and I remember my social studies teacher giving us a very specific homework assignment. She told us that we had to watch Roots on television for the next two weeks so that we could discuss it in class. Originally I remember being excited that all I had to do was watch TV for homework. By the third day it was all my friends and I could talk about, on the train going to school, in class with the teacher and with our parents at home. When I look back on that time in school and I think about American History, I realize watching Roots for those two weeks was the most African American education that was ever taught to me in public school. I look at my daughter's Social Studies/History work and there is very little information being taught to our children about African American History. When I asked my daughter to watch Roots with me just recently on TVONE, she had no idea about slavery and what the name Kunta Kinte stands for. In public schools our children are taught about George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and several other known white Americans but the only African American History that is universal is Martin Luther King -and of course it's always being taught around or in conjunction with his birthday or Black History Month. I personally didn't learn anything about Benjamin Banneker, the first African American Scientist until I was in my mid to late thirties. I remember a few years ago, a friend of the family who is an educator asked a group of 5th graders who Jesse Jackson was and at least one half of the class answered one of Michael Jackson's brothers.

How is it that in this day and age our school system still hasn't upgraded our History books to teach our children about the true history of The United States of America? How much were you taught about African Americans history in elementary school? Were you taught about Black cowboys? How about Black inventors? Did you know there were Black Slave Owners? How about the significance of Dred Scott vs Sandford?

I am forty years old and I'm still learning about the different achievements made by African Americans in the United States. It amazes me, the lack of information given to our children about African American contributions to "our" county. I decided I wanted to take the opportunity to list a few of my favorite African American Historians and their achievements.

Mark Dean (1957-Present) - I felt Mark was noteworthy to our current way of life because of the technology that we use today. Mark holds three of the nine original IBM I was very intrigued to learn that Mark led a team that developed the interior architecture that enables multiple devices, such as modems and printers to be connected to personal computers. This invention paved the way for the growth in the information technology industry. We can plug into our computers peripherals like disk drives, video gear, speakers, and scanners. Mark E. Dean and his co-inventor Dennis L. Moeller developed the improvements in computer architecture that allow IBM and compatible PCs to use high performance software and to work in tandem with peripheral devices. Their work enhanced the PC by enabling components to communicate with each other in a high-speed, efficient manner. The first commercial use of their patents was marketed in 1984 in the IBM PC/AT computer.patents upon which the IBM PC personal computers were based.

Garrett Augustus Morgan (March 4, 1877-August 27, 1963) -A Cleveland businessman and inventor of the 3 part traffic signal and safety hood that eventually would be the basis for the gas mask. Morgan's was first employed in Cleveland as a sewing-machine repairman and within a short time acquired and managed his own shop. Morgan created several other items as well; a complete line of hair preparations; and a self extinguishing cigarette. Morgan's invention of a safety hood was first introduced to numerous fire departments in the south, he was forced to pose as an "Indian" assistant and hire a white man to pretend to be "Mr. Morgan" in order to sell his product in these Jim Crow times. Not only did Garrett Morgan invent the first gas mask and produce them for the United States Army but he was also the first person to patent a traffic signal. Morgan's traffic signal was inspired after witnessing a horrific accident between a horse-drawn vehicle and an automobile in downtown Cleveland.

Elijah McCoy (May 2, 1843 -October 10, 1929)-was a black Canadian that invented a lubrication system for steam engines. Elijah was born to escaped slaves who had fled from Kentucky and made it to Canada. Elijah was sent to Edinburgh, Scotland to serve as an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering. Elijah returned to the U.S. and could not get work in his field of expertise and settled for a job as a firemen with the Michigan Central Railroad. He was in charge of oiling the trains' moving parts. While working on these parts he invented a device that allowed machines to be lubricated while they were still in operation. There were supposedly so many failed attempts by competitors that the saying, "I want the real McCoy" was the phrase used to refer to his authentic product.

Madame CJ Walker (Dec 23, 1867-May 25, 1919) - Born Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker was the first African American Women millionaire by coming up with a way to make black hair more manageable. This particular lady was very important to me because the founder of the company that I presently represent (Warm Spirit) decided to start her business and model it after Madame CJ Walker. Madame Walker was born in 1867 in poverty-stricken rural Louisiana. Walker was the daughter of former slaves, orphaned at the age of seven and widowed by 20. After her husband's death, the young widow migrated to St. Louis, Missouri, seeking a better way of life for herself and her child. She supplemented her income as a wash woman by selling her homemade beauty products door-to-door. Eventually, Walker's products formed the basis of a thriving national corporation employing at one point over 3,000 people. Her Walker System, which included a broad offering of cosmetics, licensed Walker Agents, and Walker Schools offered meaningful employment and personal growth to thousands of Black women. Madame Walker's aggressive marketing strategy combined with relentless ambition led her to be labeled as the first known African-American woman to become a self-made millionaire.

Benjamin Banneker also known as Banna Ka or Bannakay (November 9. 1731-October 9, 1806) - Benjamin was a free African American mathematician, astronomer, clockmaker and publisher. I first learned his name while in Washington, DC during the Million Family March. It was pointed out to me that Benjamin was very instrumental in surveying the land that is now known as Washington DC. Benjamin borrowed a pocket watch from a neighbor took it apart and made a drawing of it and then put the pocket watch back together perfectly (and in working order). Some time later he constructed a working wooden clock that kept accurate time and struck the hours for over 50 years. As an astronomer he predicted future solar and lunar eclipses. Benjamin also compiled information for annual almanacs that were publishes for five years which were top sellers from Pennsylvania to Virginia.

I learned a lot doing this research and I think it's something we should seek to do with our children, friends and family members at least once a month. Sit down and pick up a book or surf the internet about an African American Inventor, discuss amongst yourselves children the significance they have made to our country. Let's show our children that they can be all that they want to be. We can all can invent things and make a fantastic contribution to our nation and the world.