February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a dedicated time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history, culture and advancement. Though tragically overlooked and ignored throughout U.S history, the contributions to our modern way of life owed to the brilliance of African American inventors and thinkers are innumerable and immense. Here are just a few of many (Credit: The History Channel).
Home Security System, co-invented by Mary Van Brittan Brown in 1966: Before security systems became a fixture in many homes, an African American nurse named Mary Van Brittan Brown devised an early security unit for her own home. She spent many nights at home alone in Queens, New York (which, coincidentally, is where I was born!) while her husband was away. In 1966, she invented a system that used a camera that could slide into and look through four peepholes in her front door. The camera’s view would then appear on a monitor in her home so she could survey any potentially unwanted guests. She added other features to the system, including a microphone to speak to anyone at the door, a button to unlock the door, and a button to contact the police. She and her husband patented their system, which home security systems today were derived from.
Refrigerated Trucks, invented by Frederick McKinley Jones in 1940: If your refrigerator has any produce from your local grocery store, then you can credit African American inventor Frederick McKinley Jones. Jones took out more than 60 patents throughout his life, including a patent for the roof-mounted cooling system used to refrigerate goods on trucks in the mid-1930s. He received a patent for his invention in 1940, and co-founded the U.S. Thermo Control Company, later known as Thermo King. The company was critical during World War II, helping to preserve blood, food and supplies during the war.
Color IBM PC Monitor and Gigahertz Chip, co-Invented by Mark Dean; 1980 and 1999: Before flat screens and hi-definition LCD monitors were the norm, PC displays were limited to screens with no color that were tethered to computers with limited processing power. That all changed thanks to inventor and engineer Mark Dean. Dean began working for IBM as a chief engineer in the early 1980s, as part of a team of 12 people who would develop the first IBM PC. In addition to helping create IBM’s original machine in his early years with the company, he also worked to develop the color monitor and led the team that developed the first gigahertz processor. The massive chip, built in 1999, would allow for higher processing rates at faster speeds within PCs.
Of course, these are but a fraction of the contributions to our lives for which we have African American visionaries to thank. Sadly, most people don’t know that. As the great writer, Maya Angelou observed, "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, however, if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
While we have miles to go on our journey to a more inclusive, equitable society, I am deeply proud of the equity work all of us here at the Y are committed to doing to help assure that the next generation of great minds and talents need not toil in anonymity, but rather get all of the credit and recognition they richly deserve.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland