Black Contributions

Did you know that an African-American invented the ice-cream scooper? What about the potato chip? A lot of individuals, including me, underestimate the power, intelligence, and contributions that African-Americans have to made to society.

This fact was especially evident in the recent movie Hidden Figures, which is about three African-American women, referred to as “human computers,” who were a large component to the “machine” that calculated the safe and successful launch of astronaut John Glenn into space. In doing so, these women defied all racial and gender stereotypes in order to follow their dreams. This movie truly opened up my eyes as I learned that African-American efforts were a pivotal component to America’s successful NASA program.

As I was recently inspired and surprised by this, I thought that it would be worthwhile to see in what additional ways “hidden figures” has played a role in other aspects of life. After researching online, I discovered that many of our everyday utilities, foods, services, medical practices, and games have been coined by African-American innovators:

Garrett A Morgan 

Photo Courtesy of FamousBlackInventers.com

An African-American man who earned no more than a sixth grade level of education, Morgan invented both the traffic light and the gas mask. Morgan grew up in a household of former slaves, therefore expecting to not be valued in society. Despite his initial doubts, Morgan had a natural ability to think mechanically, leading to other inventions such as the hair straightener and sewing machine.

Daniel H. Williams

Photo Courtesy of FamousBlackPast.com

On the contrary to Morgan, Williams strived for a higher education that led to several accomplishments within the medical field. Initially a shoemaker’s apprentice and a barber, Williams eventually realized that that wasn’t his passion; rather, medicine was. In fact, he was the first to successfully do open heart surgery!

Lewis Latimer

Photo Courtesy of Biography.com

We all associate the invention of the light bulb with Thomas Edison; however, have you heard of Lewis Latimer? Serving as an assistant to Edison, this is the man who actually perfected the light bulb. Latimer’s father was a freed slave, with the help of Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, as he was able to purchase his freedom and give Latimer more opportunities in life to innovate. 

These types of findings definitely serve as a motivation for me within my future career. I too want to innovate and better our society. A personal role-model for me is Ben Carson, who is a well-known genius in the field of neurosurgery. 

Ben Carson

Photo Courtesy of Biography.com

Ben Carson was the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins at the head. What I find amazing about Carson is that he initially grew up in an environment in which he was set up for failure. Despite this, he ended up bettering his grades, getting accepted into college and medical school, and even becoming the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. It is very uncommon to see such a successful outcome from an African-American living in a low-income area with little encouraging to actually succeed. One day, I hope to become someone as remarkable as him!