Today I’d like to take a moment to celebrate Black inventions that make our daily lives easier, safer, and healthier. If you’ve used any of these things in the past week (and I’m sure you have), you can thank Black people.
Blood Banks: In 1940, Dr Charles Drew created the first large scale plasma and blood donation program: The BloodMobile.
Open Heart Surgery: One of the first successful open heart surgeries was performed by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams in 1893.
Cataract Treatment: In 1986, Dr. Patricia Bath invented the laserphaco prrobe, which revolutionized cataract surgery,.
Gas Masks: Garret Morgan invented the gas mask in 1902. As a civilian, I hope I never have to use one of these.
Home Security Systems: Marie Van Brittain Brown invented the home security system in 1966.
Refrigerated Trucks: Thank you, Frederick McKinley Jones for inventing a cooling system used for long distance food transport in 1949.
Light bulbs: Thomas Edison yadda yadda…In 1881, Lewis Latimer improved the lightbulb, adding a carbon light bulb filament, which ultimately made light bulbs commercially viable.
And finally…The Folding Chair: Patented by John Purdy in 1889, the folding chair wandered back into our collective awareness after the 2023 Montgomery Riverfront Brawl, also known as “Fade in the Water.”
