black inventors

Ned: The Black Inventor Who Couldn’t Own His Creation Due to Racist Patent Laws

Ned was an enslaved African owned by Oscar J.E. Stuart, a lawyer and planter from Mississippi, known for inventing the innovative “double plow and scraper." Despite the practical importance of the invention, Ned could not patent it due to...

Garrett Morgan: The Black Inventor Who Outsmarted Racism by Using a White Frontman to Market His Invention

Garrett Morgan was an African American inventor and entrepreneur known for life-saving innovations like the Safety Hood, a precursor to the gas mask, and the traffic signal, which improved road safety. His story is one of overcoming systemic barriers,...

Meet Sarah Boone, the African American Dressmaker Who Invented the Modern-day Ironing Board in 1892

Sarah Boone was an African American dressmaker who made her name by inventing the modern-day ironing board in 1892.
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Peoples Grocery: How a White Mob Lynched the Owner of Memphis’ Most Successful Black-Owned Store in 1892

In the late 19th century, Memphis, Tennessee, was a city rife with racial tension, where economic success for African...