A Look Back in History

When people think of inventors, many greats come to mind like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Henry Ford. From my perspective and many of my classmates, it is rare that Black inventors get the shine and credit that is due. Sure, we have George Washington Carver but there are plenty of other inventors that need more recognition for their early contributions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Garrett Morgan

Garrett Morgan was a businessperson, community leader and most importantly an inventor. He most famously created the smoke hood (the predecessor to the gas mask) and the three-position traffic light. Morgan invented a safety hood smoke protection device after seeing firefighters struggle with the smoke they encountered while on duty. The mask worked by using different tubes to collect clean air from the ground. Now onto the traffic light, there were multiple versions of the traffic light before Garrett decided to make his own. Many years ago, pedestrians, bicycles, animal-drawn wagons, and automobiles all had to share the road at the same time. With Morgan witnessing multiple accidents in 1920, he filled out a patent for a traffic light that had a third “warning” position. He was simply ahead of his time. He helped influence the modern day, but he is not the only person who did so.

Marie Van Brittan Brown

Marie Van Brittan Brown was a nurse and brilliant inventor. In 1966, she and her husband, Albert Brown, invented a video home security system. The patent was granted by the government on December 2, 1969, and four days later, the New York Times ran an article about her invention. It single-handedly influenced the home security system we still use today. Crime in Brown’s neighborhood ran high and often the police responded too slowly for emergency calls. Instead of letting vandals get away with crime, Brown and her husband decided to create the video home security system. With that simple idea alone, she stopped millions of crimes since that day and saved countless lives, according to the Home Security Alarm Magazine. Brown passed away at the age of 76 in 1999, but her legacy continues. Brown’s contribution to home security led her invention to be cited in 32 subsequent patent applications according to info-lemelson@mit.edu. Garrett Morgan’s inventions led the way to modern stoplights and firefighter’s masks.

Today’s home security systems have their roots in Marie Van Brittan Brown’s original system.

The list of African American inventors documents the many contributions in STEM. Ranging from practical everyday devices to applications and impactful discoveries, this has allowed our country to thrive. I encourage everyone to get involved in STEM at your school or talk to your counselor about STEM related opportunities. Try doing your own research because you might learn something new and intriguing the exact way I most certainly did.