In observance of “Black History Month”, I decided to share with you some interesting facts about our culture. I say “our” because this is not only my culture but the a culture for all. You know the saying, “Too know where you’re going you must know where you came from.” I refer to this statement because it speaks volumes to where we can go as a people and as a race. The Human Race…
Nathaniel Alexander was the first to patent the folding chair. His invention was designed to be used in schools, churches and at large social gatherings.
Andrew Jackson Beard invented the “Jenny Coupler” in 1897, a device which allowed train cars to hook themselves together when they are bumped into one another. The device saved the lives of many railroad workers, who originally had the dangerous job of hooking the moving cars together by hand.
Henry Blair, the second African-American to receive a patent, invented a corn seed planter in 1834 and a cotton planter in 1836. Blair could not read or write and signed his patent with an X.
Otis Boykin invented electronic control devices for guided missiles, IBM computers, and the control unit for a pacemaker.
C.B. Brooks invented the street sweeper in 1896. It was a truck equipped with brooms.
Henry Brown created what is now known as a “strongbox”, a metal container to store money and important papers that could be locked with a key
African-American mechanical engineer, David Crosthwait, Jr. created the heating systems for the Rockefeller Center and New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
Thomas L. Jennings was the first African-American to receive a patent in 1821. It was for a dry-cleaning process in 1821. He used the money earned from the patent to purchase relatives out of slavery and support abolitionist causes.
Dr. Maulana Karenga created the African-American holiday, Kwanzaa, in 1966.
History has credited Thomas Edison with the invention of the light bulb, but fewer people know about Lewis Latimer’s innovations toward its development. Until Latimer’s process formaking carbon filament, Edison’s light bulbs would only burn for a few minutes. Latimer’sfilament burned for several hours.
John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897.
Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872.
Elijah McCoy invented an automatic lubricator for oiling steam engines in 1872. The term “the real McCoy” is believed to be a reference about the reliability of Elijah McCoy’s invention.
Allensworth is the only California community to be founded, financed and governed by African-Americans. Created by Allen Allensworth in 1908, the town was built with the intention of establishing a self-sufficient, all-black city where African-Americans could live their lives free of racial discrimination.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on friend Maya Angelou’s birthday on April 4th, 1968. Angelou stopped celebrating her birthday for many years afterward, and sent flowers to King’s widow every year until Mrs. King’s death in 2006.
After African-American performer Josephine Baker expatriated to France, she famously smuggled military intelligence to French allies during World War II. She did this by pinning secrets inside her dress, as well as writing them in invisible ink on her sheet music
