Successful black scientists like world-famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson can appear rare in a racist society. After all, the black community in America (and in the world) has suffered much throughout history—but a closer look reveals a different picture. Even amid the relentless systematic oppression, many African-Americans have shown a resilience, creativity, and intelligence beyond the dreams of most people, constantly proving bigots and white supremacists wrong. To celebrate Black History Month, and to honor the great minds behind the lifestyle we now take for granted, here are 15 African-American inventors and scientists who changed the world (other than Tyson).
Shirley Ann Jackson (1946-)
Theoretical Physicist, Inventor
Dr. Shirley Jackson is a prominent, world-famous physicist and the first African-American woman ever to earn a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the second to earn a doctorate in physics, and the first to receive the National Medal of Science. Her research and inventions paved the way for several modern developments in telecommunications such as the touch-tone phone, call waiting, portable faxes, caller ID, and the fiber-optic cable. In short, cell phones, the internet, computers in general, and the world as a whole simply wouldn’t be the same without her work.
Thomas L. Jennings (1791-1856)
Inventor, Tradesman
Jennings was a prominent abolitionist activist and an accomplished tradesman. He made history as the first African-American to receive a patent in 1821. His patent was for “dry scouring,” an inventive technique which basically created modern-day dry cleaning.
Charles Drew (1904-1950)
Physician, Surgeon, Medical Researcher
Drew specialized in the field of blood transfusions, and did he make an impact! He improved techniques for blood storage, and was the developer of large-scale blood banks in World War II, which changed the way the Allies treated soldiers, saving thousands of life in the process. And that was just during the war. His blood banks made it possible to store large amounts of blood in hospitals across the world, which have singlehandedly saved millions of lives ever since.
Otis Boykin (1920-1982)
Inventor, Engineer
After his mother died from a heart attack, Otis Boyking set out to invent the modern pacemaker. More specifically, he created a control unit which allows to use electrical impulses in order to maintain a normal heartbeat, which is the core function of any pacemaker today. That was not his only invention, however. As a professional engineer, Boykin patented over 25 electronic devices, including wired and variable resistors used in guided missiles.
Patricia Era Bath (1942-)
Ophthalmologist, Inventor, Academic
Bath was the first African-American resident in the ophthalmologist department of New York University, the first black woman to serve as staff surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center, and the first black woman doctor to receive a medical patent. She’s a pioneer in her field, having invented both the mechanism and procedure for the removal of cataracts using a laser beam.
Lisa Gelobter (1970-)
Computer Scientist, Technologist, Chief Executive
The mastermind behind our beloved animated GIFs. That’s right, without Lisa Gelobter, the internet wouldn’t be the same at all: all those GIF-based cat memes, for example, wouldn’t exist. She developed Shockwave Flash, used for countless applications, both online and offline. And, well, you know you changed the world the moment you singlehandedly change the internet.
Marian R. Croak (1955-)
Inventor, Vice President for Engineering at Google
With over 200 patents under her belt, Croak was inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame in 2013 for her important achievements in the world of technological development. She’s behind several telecommunication technologies and innovations, including text-based donations, which currently support thousands of charities worldwide.
Lewis Latimer (1848-1928)
Inventor, Draftsman
Latimer was a slave who ran away for freedom, becoming an important figure in the movement for the abolition of slavery. As a free man, he became involved on the frontline of the technical innovation of his time, participating in multiple projects as a draftsman and inventing several key patents himself. Among his most important inventions is the first lightbulb with a carbon filament, which improved Thomas A. Edison’s own developments. After that he was hired by the Edison Electric Company in New York, where he wrote the first book on electric lighting. Truly an amazing mind!
Philip Emeagwali (1954-)
Computer Scientist
Originally from Nigeria, Emeagwali is often referred to as “The Bill Gates of Africa,” pioneering computer technologies throughout his remarkable career. In 1989 he won the Gordon Bell Prize for producing high-performance computing applications, inventing one of the world’s first super-computers.
Jesse Ernest Wilkins, Jr. (1923-2011)
Nuclear Scientist, Mechanical Engineer, Mathematician
Wilkins is the youngest student ever to attend the University of Chicago, at the age of 13. Widely recognized as a genius and child prodigy, Wilkins contributed to the Manhattan Project in World War II, published over 100 academic papers and made significant contributions in the fields of differential geometry, differential geometry, linear differential equations, integrals, nuclear engineering, gamma radiation shielding and optics, and won several prestigious awards during his seven-decade career.
Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922-1999)
Inventor
Brown was the pioneer behind our contemporary CCTV systems. Feeling insecure about how long it took police to respond to calls in a given emergency, she developed a home security device which became the very first surveillance system in history. She patented her idea in the 60s, giving rise to security as we know it today.
George Washington Carver (1860s-1943)
Agricultural Scientist, Inventor, Environmentalist
Carver developed vital agricultural techniques to improve soils whose fertility had been depleted by repeated plantings. In trying to improve the lives of farmers, he invented over 300 peanut-based recipes. He was also a leading figure fighting for environmentalism, which earned him widespread recognition even to this day.
Elijah McCoy (1844-1929)
Inventor, Engineer
As one of the most famous American inventors in history, McCoy truly revolutionized industries and paved the way for many other notable African-American innovators in the public eye. He became widely known for his 57 patents, the most famous of which involves an automatic lubricator that changed the way Steam engines were oiled during his time. His oil-drip cup invention effectively improved transportation technology throughout America. The phrase “The real McCoy,” meaning “the real deal,” originated as a reference to Elijah McCoy’s inventions.
Garrett Morgan (1877-1963)
Inventor, Businessman
Morgan invented the “smoke hood,” now widely known as the gas mask. He was also a pioneer in hair care by inventing a chemical straightening solution, which turned him into a successful businessman. He is also credited with adding the three-colored system for traffic lights (previously the only two signals were “stop” and “go”), significantly reducing traffic-related accidents worldwide.
Lonnie G. Johnson (1949-)
Inventor, Engineer
Johnson currently holds over 120 patents spanning a career of more than 40 years. Though he’s never been a toymaker (he has worked mostly as an aerospace engineer for NASA and the US Air Force), arguably his most successful invention is the Super Soaker water gun, one of the bestselling toys in history. So, yeah, you can thank him for your countless hours of water gun fights—basically amounting to entire generations of childhood fun.
There are thousands of other incredible African-American minds that have changed the world as we know it, including Martha Jones, Harold Amos, Janet Emerson Bashen, Archie Alphonso Alexander, Leonard C. Bailey, Valerie Thomas, St. Elmo Brady, Betty Wright Harris, Benjamin Banneker, and James Edward Maceo West, just to name a few. So, this list could go on virtually forever.
It just goes to show the amount of scientific and creative talent there is in the African-American community. And it’s not just scientist and inventors: there are amazing artists, too. The world’s surely incredibly lucky that these minds were able to fight their way even in spite of the rampant racism there was in their time—and that still plagues many corners of society today. Imagine what the community could do if given their fair opportunities.
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