09/08/2026
📚 SHOUT-OUT TO THIS BOOK: The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity BY PATRICIA CARTER SLUBY.
I want to take a moment to give recognition to this book and to the countless Black creators, inventors, innovators, and engineers whose contributions helped shape the world we live in today.
I support Black creators and Black innovation, and I believe our history deserves to be learned, studied, documented, and properly recognized.
Think about how many things we interact with every single day.
🚨 1. Traffic Signals — Garrett Morgan
Garrett Morgan patented a three-position traffic signal in 1923. His design added a warning/caution position between stop and go and became an important development in modern traffic-control systems. (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
🛗 2. Automatic Elevator Doors — Alexander Miles
In 1887, Alexander Miles patented an automatic mechanism for opening and closing elevator doors, an important safety improvement that is reflected in modern elevator systems. (HISTORY)
🎤 3. Electret Microphone — James E. West
James E. West co-invented the foil electret microphone, technology that became widely used in telephones, hearing aids, recording equipment, and other devices. (HISTORY)
🚛 4. Refrigeration for Trucks — Frederick McKinley Jones
Frederick Jones developed a portable refrigeration system that allowed perishable food, medicine, and other goods to be transported over long distances. (HISTORY)
💡 5. Improvements to the Electric Lamp — Lewis H. Latimer
Lewis Latimer patented improvements involving electric lamps and the manufacturing of carbon filaments, contributing to the development and practical use of electric lighting. (AIP)
🚂 6. Automatic Lubrication Systems — Elijah McCoy
Elijah McCoy patented an automatic lubricating device that allowed machinery, including railroad engines, to be lubricated while operating. (VTA)
🚆 7. Railway Telegraphy — Granville T. Woods
Granville T. Woods patented electrical and railway communication technologies that helped trains communicate and operate more safely. (AIP)
🚪 8. Home Security System — Marie Van Brittan Brown
Brown and her husband patented an early home-security system featuring cameras, monitors, two-way communication, and a mechanism for contacting police—ideas that influenced later security technology. (HISTORY)
🍬 9. Modern Sugar-Refining Technology — Norbert Rillieux
Norbert Rillieux developed a vacuum-pan evaporation process that dramatically improved the efficiency and quality of sugar refining. (CiteSeerX)
🛡️ 10. Safety Hood / Early Gas Mask — Garrett Morgan
Morgan patented a breathing device, commonly called a safety hood, that protected users from smoke and dangerous gases and became an important predecessor to modern respiratory protective equipment. (National Inventors Hall of Fame)
And these are only 10 examples.
There are many more.
So the next time you walk through automatic elevator doors, stop at a traffic light, use a microphone, receive refrigerated food, travel by train, turn on a light, or use a home-security system, remember this:
Black innovation is not just something you read about during Black History Month.
Black innovation is part of everyday life.
That is why I’m giving a shout-out to The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity by Patricia Carter Sluby.
📚 Learn the history.
📚 Study the patents.
📚 Research the inventors.
📚 Teach the next generation.
Know what was created. Know who created it. And know the history behind it.
