Our Heritage: Inventors

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Black history month is a time where we all come together and take pride in our back heritage. It is time we honor our ancestors and those who have come before us. We honor the great tribulations that our forefathers and foremothers set before us so that we can live the life we live today. Today we at Healthy Keys, LLC want to honor those before us by giving you a list of black inventors.

Date Inventor Product

1791 Benjamin Banneker Almanac

1893 Thomas W. Stewart Mop

1949 Fredrick M Jones Air conditioning

1903 Charles S. L. Baker Friction Heater 1889 Wiliam H Richardson Baby Buggy

1971 George T. Sampson Clothes Dryer

1892 Samual R. Scrottron Curtain Rod

1896 William S. Grant Curtain Rod Holder

1878 Osburn Dorsey Door Knob

1878 Osburn Dorsey Door Stop

1867 Alexander Miles Elevator

1872 Thomas Marshall Fire Extinguisher

1899 Leonard C. Bailey Folding Bed

1911 Nathaniel Alexander Folding Chair

1899 George T. Grant Golf Tee

1886 Robert F. Fleming Jr. Guitar

1898 Lydia O. Newnan Hair Brush

1905 Madam C.J. Walker Straightening Comb

1923 Garret Morgan Traffic Light

1989 Lonnie Jackson Super Soaker

1898 Charles Orren Bailiff Shampoo Headrest

I listed 21 inventions that we still use today. African Americans have shaped society in many different ways. They developed inventions that make life as we know it easier. Our ancestors are the reason we have the freedoms we have.

I want to take this time out to be thankful for these inventions. Heating and cooling brings me great gratitude as it allows me and my family to be comfortable. Growing up in the country in the 80’s and early 90’s there were times where you didn’t have heating and cooling during the months needed. This makes you more grateful for it today as well as the smaller things in life.

As a woman I can truly say I am thankful for all the hair inventions. Especially the ones created by us for us. We can all attest to hair products making our lives a little easier day by day. Especially when you have daughters. Hair inventions help us to keep our hair clean, healthy, and looking nice when used correctly.

As an educator I’m thankful for the invention of the super soaker by Lonnie Jackson. This invention helps to start introducing students to inventions. There are plenty of activities you can incorporate with learning about the super soaker. It’s definitely a fun topic to get your students engaged in learning.

There are a plethora of inventions that were created by African Americans. Over the years I was actually surprised by a few myself. As I close this article today, I want to leave you with hopes that you will practice gratitude every week this, or even each week this year for where we are in life because of those before us.

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” —Booker T. Washington