Black History Month: 10 Inventors That Shifted Society

Thousands of African-American inventors have developed various inventions over the years that have greatly impacted culture. However, today we are highlighting only 10 African-American inventors who have “shifted” the fields of science, medicine and technology.

Dr. Patricia E. Bath

She was the first African-American female doctor to receive a patent in medicine for her invention of the Laserphaco Probe. a medical device that improved the method in which cataracts is removed from the eyes in 1988.

Lewis Latimer

Did you know an African-American man was one of Thomas Edison’s right hand men? That’s right. Lewis Latimer actually received a patent on an IMPROVEMENT of Edison’s original paper filament in light bulbs. Thanks to Latimer who patented the carbon filament in 1881, light bulbs are where they are today.

Garrett Morgan

Morgan patented the Safety Hood in 1912 which later became the prototype for the development of the gas mask. He also patented the traffic signal in 1922.

Otis Boykin

The Dallas native patented the electronic control device used in the pacemaker. He also invented an improved version of an “electrical resistor” which is used in computers,  TVs, radios and guided missiles.

Charles Drew

Thanks to Charles Drew the world is able to have life saving blood banks due to his ground breaking research on blood plasma in 1940.

Mark Dean

Dean is a computer scientist and engineer who  led teams that developed the first gigahertz chip and the ISA bus, both revolutionary inventions in technology. Did I mention his work led to the development of the color PC monitor? Impressive.

George Washington Carver

Probably one of the most recognizable names on the list, Carver is best known for his discovery of the MANY uses for the peanut in the 1880s.

Percy Julian

A pioneering chemist,  Julian impacted the world of science in various ways but he is best known for Synthetic Cortisone which is used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis in 1948.

Frederick McKinley Jones

In 1940 Jones received a patent for a portable automatic refrigeration system for trucks after designing it in 1935. Now to many this may seem insignificant but imagine a world filled with trucks hauling, let’s say meat or veggies, without refrigeration.

Dr. Shirley Jackson

Jackson’s breakthrough research allowed others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind call waiting and caller ID. Now that’s what we call the alley-oop of science!

(Patricia Bath Photo: BET.com)