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Posts tagged as “black inventors”

IT’S BACK!! GBN’s “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day Calendar for 2023 Now Available for Pre-Order

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, GBN Editor-in-Chief

Last fall GBN came out with its first physical product: the A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022, published by Workman Publishing.

We are excited to announce that, with your support, its sequel is on the way — the  A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2023!

Written by yours truly, the A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2023 is filled with fresh new facts, history, bios, quotes, jokes and trivia in easy-to-read daily entries.

The 2023 calendar’s official drop date is Tuesday, November 1, and if you pre-order now at Workman.com using the code: CALENDAR22 from now until December 31, you will receive 20% off.

A Year of Good Black News offers fun Black facts about inventors, artists, entrepreneurs, musicians, comedians, historians, educators, athletes and entertainers.

We’re introducing new monthly categories for 2023 like “In The Paint: Black Artists,” and “Hit The Books: Black Authors,” along with established ones like “Lemme Break It Down: Black Lexicon,” “We Got Game: Black Trivia,” “Get The Knowledge: Black Museums and Landmarks” and “You Know We Did That, Right?: Black Inventors.” 

Here’s a sneak peek inside:

Although I’m biased because I wrote it, the A Year of Good Black News calendar is an awesome way to get inspired every day by the good things Black people do (and have done) for centuries, but haven’t always been widely known or shared.

It’s also a great gift for family members, friends, teachers, children and loved ones. Did I mention if you use the code: CALENDAR22 at Workman.com, you get 20% off?

Or, if you prefer, you can also order from the retailers below:

Bookshop: https://www.bookshop.org/

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781523516353?aff=workmanpub

Barnes & Noble: barnesandnoble.com

Books-A-Million: www.booksamillion.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1523516356?tag=workmanweb-20

Onward and upward –  hope you enjoy – and share!

GBN’s Daily Drop: Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner – Inventor of the Sanitary Belt (LISTEN)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Today’s GBN Daily Drop podcast is based on the Friday, March 4 entry in the “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day®️ Calendar for 2022, about inventor Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner who, along with the sanitary belt, patented her creations of a serving tray attachment for walkers, a wall-mountable back washer and an accessible toilet paper holder:

You can follow or subscribe to the Good Black News Daily Drop Podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, rss.com or create your own RSS Feed. Or just check it out every day here on the main website (transcript below):

 

SHOW TRANSCRIPT:

Hey, this is Lori Lakin Hutcherson, founder and editor in chief of goodblacknews.org, here to share with you a daily drop of Good Black News for Friday, March 4th, 2022, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar” published by Workman Publishing. It’s in the category for Black Inventors we call “You Know We Did That, Right?”

Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner was determined to help women everywhere when she invented and patented an adjustable sanitary belt with an in-built, moisture-proof napkin pocket in 1956. When a company showed interest in licensing her design, they quickly reversed course after discovering that Kenner was Black.

Then once Kenner’s patent expired, her design became public domain and she never got paid for it. But still determined to make a difference, Mary and her sister Mildred, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, invented a serving tray attachment for walkers, a mountable back washer, and an accessible toilet tissue holder – earning four more patents for her life-enhancing creations.

To learn more about Kenner, check out Marc Lamont Hill’s video segment on BNC News about her as well as links to other sources provided in today’s show notes and in the episode’s full transcript [posted] on goodblacknews.org.

This has been a daily drop of Good Black News, based on the A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022,” published by Workman Publishing.

Beats provided by freebeats.io and produced by White Hot.

If you like these Daily Drops, please consider following us on Apple, Google Podcasts, RSS.com, Amazon, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can give a positive rating or review, share [links to your favorite episodes] on social media, or go old school and tell a friend.

For more Good Black News, you can check out goodblacknews.org or search and follow @goodblacknews anywhere on social.

Sources:

GBN Daily Drop Podcast: Garrett Morgan – Inventor of the Gas Mask Prototype (LISTEN)

by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

Today’s GBN Daily Drop podcast is based on the Wednesday, February 9 entry in the “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day®️ Calendar for 2022, about early 20th-century inventor Garrett Morgan who, along with the tri-color traffic light, created the “safety hood” — a prototype for the mask American soldiers wore in World War I to protect them from toxic gas.

(Btw, GBN’s Page-A-Day®️ Calendar for 2022 is 50% off at workman.com with code:50CAL until 2/28/22!)

You can also follow or subscribe to the Good Black News Daily Drop Podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, rss.com or create your own RSS Feed. Or just check it out every day here on the main website (transcript below):

SHOW TRANSCRIPT:

Hey, this Lori Lakin Hutcherson, founder and editor in chief of goodblacknews.org, here to share with you a daily drop of Good Black News for Wednesday, February 9th, 2022, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar” published by Workman Publishing. It’s in the category for Black Inventors we call “You Know We Did That, Right?”

You may have learned at some point that Garrett Morgan is the name of the person who invented the tricolored traffic light.

What may not ring a bell is that in 1914 Morgan patented a “safety hood” breathing device to filter out harmful smoke and pollutants.

When marketing this creation proved difficult for him, he hired a white actor to play “the inventor” of the device while he played “Big Chief Mason,” the inventor’s sidekick and guinea pig.

The charade totally worked—sales were brisk—and Morgan’s device became the prototype for masks used to protect American soldiers from toxic gas in World War I.

To learn more about Garrett Morgan’s life and work, check out the links provided in today’s show notes.

This has been a daily drop of Good Black News, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022,” published by Workman Publishing, and available at workman.com, Amazon, Bookshop and other online retailers.

Beats provided by freebeats.io and produced by White Hot. For more Good Black News, check out goodblacknews.org or search and follow @goodblacknews anywhere on social.

Five Fun Apps to Upgrade Your Black History Knowledge

blackHistoryApps
(Image: BlackInvestors.com)

If there is one thing we should know, it’s that Black History is made every day. For example, Madame C.J. Walker, who created specialized hair products for African-American hair, paved the way for many women such as Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter, to start their own haircare companies. Frank Greene, considered one of the first black technologists, cleared the path for future innovators like Chinedu Echeruo, the Founder of Hopstop.com and Tripology.com.  And without a doubt, knowledge of your history can empower you to forge successfully into the future.

If you’re looking to learn more about history or discover other African Americans making their mark on the world, check out this list of Black History apps for your smartphone or tablet.Black Inventors Match Game: Celebrate African American inventors with best friends Myles and Ayesha as you learn who earned patents for everyday items such as the doorknob, the traffic light and lemon squeezer. Then test your IQ with a matching game. (Available for Android and iOS)

  • Then and Now Series: Black History: The Then and Now Series apps shed light on facts about different cultures. In the Black History edition, you can learn about 100 different people through biographies, images and links to video or music. Print or email the bios to share the knowledge with friends. (Available for iOS)
  • More Than a Mapp: Explore an interactive map and bring black history close to home—literally. Set your location, and nearby historically significant sites will illuminate on the map. Check out related links, photos and videos. Know of a significant location not shown? Send it in, wait for verification and create your own pinpoint for all to see and learn. (Available for Android and iOS)
  • Black History Quiz: Test your knowledge of important black figures with multiple-choice questions. If you don’t know an answer, learn as you go—you won’t be able to move onto the next question until you get it right. (Available for Android and via the Amazon App Store)
  • The Root: Update your perspective with The Root, an inclusionary news source that features writing by prominent African American writers. In addition to political, social, cultural and racial commentary, tune in to podcasts and view slideshows for an interactive, visual news experience. (Available for Android and iOS)

article by Kandia Johnson via blackenterprise.com

Six Black Inventors Who Changed the World

Thanks to African-American inventors and innovators our lives are easier, more convenient and more prosperous in many ways.  Although we rarely hear about these sharp, groundbreaking pioneers from the past and present, black innovators have contributed in every field—from mechanics to cosmetics to consumer goods to technology. This Black History Month we pause to acknowledge a few.

While working at IBM, Mark Dean invented the first modern peripherals that enabled us to plug speakers, disk drives, scanners and printers into computers. Dean holds three of IBMs original nine PC patents.
At just 27 years old, chemist Dennis Weatherby invented automatic dishwasher detergent while working at Proctor & Gamble in 1987.  His invention now sells under the trade name “Cascade” and is the basic formula for all of today’s lemon-scented cleaning products with bleach.
If you’ve ever wondered where the phrase “the real McCoy” originated look to innovator Elijah McCoy.  His parents escaped slavery in the mid- 1800s by way of the Underground Railroad and moved to Canada.  They sent him to Scotland to be educated. Upon completing his studies, McCoy moved to the United States for work but discrimination prevented him from finding employment as a professional engineer. So he went to work on the railroad as an oilman responsible for keeping the moving parts of the trains lubricated for locomotion. He found that walking along the trains oiling the axles and bearings was inefficient so he created an oil lubricating cup that automatically dripped oil onto the moving parts.  His invention allowed trains to travel long distances continuously without the need to stop for oiling.  After he received a patent for his invention there were many engineers who imitated his work.  But informed train operators knew his invention was superior and when they needed to order an automatic oil cup they would ask for “the real McCoy.” His invention became standard equipment on most locomotives and heavy machinery. McCoy went on to patent more than 50 inventions.

Sarah Goode was born into slavery, but went on to become the first African-American woman to receive a U.S. patent, issued on July 14, 1885 for a folding cabinet bed. The entrepreneur, who was freed after the Civil War, invented the bed for people who lived in small apartments near her Chicago home, and sold her creation at a furniture store she owned there.
Thomas Jennings, the first African-American to receive a U.S. patent, invented the dry-cleaning process.  He operated a dry-cleaning business in New York City and is said to have donated most of his business profits to the movement to abolish slavery.
Madam C.J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove) was born to parents who had gained their freedom from slavery only to pass away a short while later from a deadly fever. Sarah became an orphan at 7 years of age and by 20 years of age she was a widow and single mother.  Having struggled with dry scalp and hair, and seeking a better life for herself and her daughter, she invented hair care products and sold them to other African-American women.  Eventually she was able to create a thriving national corporation that employed 3,000 or more people — primarily African-American women whom she taught the principles of entrepreneurship and marketing so they too could become financially stable.  Her company went on to develop other hair and beauty products and equipment that were used by white women as well.
Madam Walker became so wealthy that some of the world’s richest men in history were her neighbors.  Among them was oil billionaire (in today’s dollars), industrialist, and Spelman benefactor, John D. Rockefeller, who invested so substantially in the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary three years after it was established that its name was changed to Spelman Seminary (now Spelman College) in honor of his wife, Laura Spelman.
It is inspiring to consider such richness and ingenuity among African-Americans.  These few examples of many hundreds of black innovators and trendsetters are a clear demonstration that all of us are capable of making incredible contributions that carry our country, communities, families and fortunes forward.
article by Felicia Joy via blackenterprise.com