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Making History: African American Pioneers of Science. Learn about these inspiring men and women.
- George Washington Carver: The Agricultural Scientist
- Garrett Morgan: The Traffic King
- Marie Van Brittan Brown: The Security Pro
- Frederick Mckinley Jones: The Cooling Expert
- Alexander Miles: The Elevator Expert
- Charles R. Drew: The Blood Bank Equalizer
- Patricia Era Bath: The Eye Doctor
- Gerald A. Lawson: The Ultimate Gamer
Born into slavery in Diamond, Missouri, the year before it was outlawed, George Washington Carver was a prominent scientist of the early 20th century. In 1894, he became the first African American to receive a Bachelor of Science degree. He also earned a Master of Agriculture degree in 1896. Carver taught and conducted research at Tuskegee Institut...
Born in Paris, Kentucky in 1877, Garrett Morgan witnessed many accidents at traffic lights that only had "stop" and "go" signals. He saw a way to improve on it by adding a warning light—and the three-way signal, which greatly improved vehicle safety, was born. Morgan sold the rights to his invention to General Electric for $40,000. Before that, in ...
Marie Van Brittan Brown was born in Queens, New York, and worked there as a full-time nurse. Her husband, Albert, was an electronics technician. They both kept irregular work hours, and the timing of their schedules meant Brown was often left home alone. When crime rates began to affect her community, Brown grew fearful of answering the door. With ...
Frederick McKinley Jones was awarded 61 patents during his lifetime—including 40 for refrigeration equipment. In the late 1930s, the Cincinnati native's invention of refrigerated air-cooling units for trucks, railroad cars, ships, and planes revolutionized the distribution of food and other perishables by making fresh produce available anywhere in ...
Alexander Miles lived during a time when elevator doors were operated manually by human conductors. If the shaft was not properly closed, people could fall through, leading to horrific accidents. In 1887, Miles was granted a patent for his invention of a flexible belt that attached to the elevator cage, and drums positioned to indicate if the eleva...
Born in Washington D.C., Charles Drew, M.D., was a prominent surgeon, medical researcher, and trailblazer in the field of blood transfusion and the storage of blood in large-scale blood banks. Dr. Drew's renowned research led to an appointment as medical director of the Blood for Britain project, where he oversaw the collection of 14,500 pints of v...
Patricia Bath, M.D., was a brilliant ophthalmologist, inventor, humanitarian, and an early pioneer of laser cataract surgery. A graduate of Hunter College and Howard University College of Medicine, Dr. Bath became the first African American resident in ophthalmology at New York University. She was also the first African American woman to work as a ...
Your kids may not know his name, but they should, because Brooklyn-born pioneering scientist and video game developer, Gerald "Jerry" Lawson, made it possible for people to play video gamesfrom the comfort of their home. In the early 1970s, Lawson moved to the Bay Area's Silicon Valley, where he was one of the only Black engineers in the tech indus...
- Sherri Mcgee Mccovey
- 1 min
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- George Washington Carver. Popularized peanut butter, and invented hundreds of uses for peanuts, soybeans, pecans, and sweet potatoes such as: soaps and shampoos.
- Dr. Patricia Bath. Dr. Bath was an ophthalmologist (medical doctor specializing in eye care), found that Blacks were twice as likely to suffer from blindness as the general population, and eight times more likely to suffer blindness as a result of glaucoma than whites.
- Lewis Howard Latimer. Born to parents who escaped slavery, Lewis Howard Latimer fought in the US Navy during the Civil War. While working at a patent law office, he designed a number of his own inventions, such as an improved railroad car bathroom and an early version of an air conditioning unit.
- Sarah E. Goode. In the early years of the United States, it was very difficult for a woman to get a patent in her own name. A patent is considered a kind of property, and in most states until the late 1800s, it was forbidden for women to own property in their own name.
There are so many awesome African-American Inventors! We researched important African-American inventors to see how their inventions changed the world. In this article you will find information on some of the many African-American inventors for kids.
- Alice Ball, chemist (1892-1916) Alice Ball was a chemist who developed an injectable treatment for leprosy. (Biography) Interested in chemistry and medicine?
- Benjamin Banneker, mathematician and astronomer (1731-1806) Benjamin Banneker was a mathematician and astronomer. Stories about Banneker include a range of science details, including a clock he carved from wood (possibly the first clock in the U.S.)
- Patricia Bath, ophthalmologist (1942-2019) Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist who developed laser technology used in treating cataracts. (Biography)
- Guion Bluford, astronaut and aerospace engineer (1942-) Guion Bluford was the first African American in space on the Challenger's eighth (STS-8) space shuttle mission (1983).
Jan 13, 2024 · Explore 10 famous black men and women who have helped shape the history of our country through their words and actions in science, literature, and art. You’ll find secret codes, coloring projects, engineering projects, games, and more! This pack can be used for various ages, including 5-10.
1. George Washington Carver. 1860s – January 5, 1943. Field: Botanist, Inventor and Teacher. Known for: Born into slavery, George Washington Carver became a foremost botanist, inventor and...
