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This article celebrates the excellence of black inventors who have made groundbreaking innovations in various fields. From Henry Boyd, who invented the Boyd Bedstead, to George Washington Carver, who created peanut products, these inventors have left an indelible mark on history. Henry Boyd – The inventor of the corded bed Henry Boyd was an inventor, …
Madam C J Walker was an entrepreneur best known for inventing Black haircare products. She was a political social activist, philanthropist and the first female self-made millionaire. Early years Born Sarah Breedlove on 23 December 1867, Madam C J Walker was the first child in her family to be born into freedom after the signing …
George Washington Carver was an agricultural scientist and inventor who developed hundreds of products using peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans, substantially improving the agricultural economy of the American South. Born into slavery, Carver pursued education and earned a master’s degree in agricultural science. He taught and conducted research at Tuskegee University for decades, and his …
1806-1894 – Nobert Rillieux is famous for revolutionising the sugar industry. Norbert Rillieux was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 17 March 1806. His parents were Vincent Rillieux, a white plantation owner, and Constance Vivant, a freed black slave. Rillieux’s father was also a successful engineer and inventor. His father allowed him access to private …
Thomas Jennings (1791-1859) Thomas Jennings was born free in New York City in 1791. In his early 20s, he became a tailor but then opened a dry cleaning business in New York. Thomas went on to patent a process for cleaning clothing. He was the first black man to receive a patent. The patent was awarded on …
The potato chip (aka crisps) was invented in 1853 by George Crum. The son of an African-American father and a Native American mother, Crum was a chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. French fries were popular at the restaurant and one day a diner complained that the fries were …
Many professionals in the electrical industry knew Granville T Woods as the “Black Edison”. Woods was considered by many to be the greatest electrician in the world. The most well-known of Woods’s inventions is a railway telegraph system. He made it in 1887 at his machine shop in Cincinnati, Ohio. This telegraph system allowed train …
Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada, on 2 May 1844. His parents were George and Emillia McCoy, former slaves from Kentucky who escaped through the Underground Railroad. George joined the Canadian Army, fighting in the Rebel War and then raised his family as free Canadian citizens on a 160 acre homestead. At an …
Henry Boyd was a skilled carpenter, born into slavery in Kentucky on 12 April 1802. At a young age, his master apprenticed Henry out to a cabinetmaker. Henry proved to have an impressive talent for carpentry. He learned early that many Black carpenters used their skills to buy their freedom. At 18, Boyd was allowed …
Lewis Latimer is regarded as one of the ten most significant Black inventors of all time, not just for his many inventions but also for his most famous discovery. Latimer was born on 4 September 1848 in Chelsea, Massachusetts. His parents were runaway slaves George and Rebecca Latimer, who migrated from Virginia to Massachusetts in …
Garrett Morgan possessed a rare gift of creativity that allowed him to produce outstanding inventions which have a tremendous impact on society. Garrett Morgan was born on 4 March in Paris, Kentucky, in 1877. He was the seventh child of 11 born to Sydney and Elizabeth Morgan. At the age of 14, Garrett decided to …
