UVI Voice

 In 1926, a historian, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founded Negro History Week, initially held in mid February. Fifty years later, in 1976, this celebration led to the formation of "Black History Month."

Black History Month is about the edification of all persons in African history and culture. This edification process should include research on Africa’s rich culture, noteworthy men and women, past kings and queens, and of course, the innovators.

A very significant part of our history is the history of our inventions. Along with the ancient pyramids, blacks have contributed greatly to the world of design and innovation.

Knowing this, one should keep the name of at least one Black Inventor in mind for each day in Black History Month. The information on the twenty-eight men and women listed below was taken from the website- www.blackinventor.com. See below the inventors and inventions. Keep the vision alive, enjoy the history lesson!

 1. Benjamin Thornton. Invention: predecessor to the answering machine.

       2. George Crum. Invention: potato chips

      3. Otis Boykin. Inventions: pace maker, wire precision resistor, electron chip, chemical air filter,  burglar proof cash register.

4. Meredith Gourdine. Inventions: allergen filtration devices, Incineraid system, focus flow heat sink.

5. Joseph Lee. Inventions: bread crumb machine, bread making machine.

6. J.L. Love. Inventions: pencil sharpener, Plasterer's Hawk (for mortar)

7. Jan Matzeliger. Invention: shoe laster

8. Daniel Hale Williams. Invention: safe surgical procedures for Chest Cavity Operations; the first person to perform an open heart surgery, without the patient dying.

10. Benjamin Banneker. Invention: first clock made in the USA.
11. George Washington Carver. Inventions: found over 300 uses for the peanut (facial cream, milk, ink, soap etc.); found over 100 uses for the sweet potato (synthetic rubber, flour, starch etc.).

11. George Carruthers. Invention: Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph.

12. M.A. Cherry. Inventions: Street car fender, velocipede (predecessor of the bicycle or tricycle).

13. Mark Dean. Inventions: On the team that created the original home/office computer, Industry standard architecture (ISA) systems bus, the Color Graphics Adapter

14. P. B. Downing. Invention: street letter box (predecessor to mail box)

15. Charles Drew. Invention: separated the blood plasma from the red blood cells, and in so doing, improved blood banking.

16. T. Elkins. Invention: predecessor to the refrigerator.

17. D.A. Fisher. Invention: joiner's clamp; furniture caster.

18. George F. Grant. Invention: Golf Tee.

19. Thomas Jennings. Invention: dry cleaning.

20. John Arthur "Jack" Johnson. Invention: wrench.

21. Lonnie Johnson. Invention: Super Soaker.

22. W. Johnson. Invention: Egg beater.

23. Fred Jones. Inventions: snow machine, portable x-ray machine, automatic ticket-dispensing machines for movie theatres, refrigerated compartments in vehicles.

24. Percy Julian. Inventions: aero-foam, hormones from soy beans, synthetic version of cortisone.
25. Lewis Latimer. Invention: apparatus for cooling and disinfecting (predecessor to air filters), safety elevator.
26. Garrett Morgan. Invention: human hair straightener, Gas mask, Automatic traffic signal (predecessor to traffic lights).
27. W.B. Purvis. Invention: Fountain pen.

28. W.C. Brown. Invention: Train water closet (predecessor to bathroom compartment in trains).

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