The Bold & The Brilliant: 10 Black Inventors We Should ALL Know About

Leonard C. Bailey (1825–1918): Founder of the Capitol Savings Bank, Inventor of the rapid mail-stamping machine and the folding bed

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Bailey main goal in life was to help the Black community anyway he could. He and and other black businessmen created the Capitol Savings Bank to provide more affordable loans and insurance for poor households in the District of Columbia. In the late 1800s, Bailey went on to create more inventions, including a speed stamper for mail, which was used by the U.S. Postal Service. And on July 18, 1899, he patented a folding bed for easy storage.

Patricia Bath (November 4, 1942-): Inventor of the Laserphaco Probe for cataract surgery

Bath is the first African-American female doctor to receive a medical patent. In 1986, she invented the laserphaco probe allowing ophthalmologist to remove cataracts.

Kenneth J. Dunkley (1939-): Inventor Of 3D Glasses

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In 1986, Dunkley Three Dimensional Viewing Glasses (3-DVG) after realizing that blocking two points in a human’s peripheral vision, he could transform two-dimensional visuals into a three-dimensional space, creating a unique visual effect.

George Edward Alcorn: Inventor of the Imaging X-ray Spectrometer

Thanks to Alcorn, scientists can now understand what materials are composed of when they cannot be broken down. In 2001, he was awarded special congressional recognition for his efforts in helping Virgin Islands businesses through application of NASA technology and technology programs.

Lisa Gelobter (1971-): Founder and CEO of tEQuitable, Credited for the success of GIFS

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Gelobter was involved with the development of Shockwave, a technology that formed the beginning of web animation and is credited for laying the early groundwork for graphics interchange format (GIF) by developing the animation used to produce the images

Dr. Shirley Jackson (August 5, 1946): Created technology that lead to Caller ID, portable fax, touch tone telephone

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Jackson is the First African-American woman to earn a doctorate in physics at MIT. She conducted breakthrough basic scientific research that enabled others to invent the portable fax, touch tone telephone, solar cells, fiber optic cables, and the technology behind caller ID and call waiting.

Janet Emerson Bashen (February 12, 1957-): Founder and CEO of the Bashen Corporation

Bashen is the first African-American woman to receive a patent for a web-based software invention, LinkLine, which is an Equal Employment Opportunity case management and tracking software. You go, sis.

Andrew Jackson Beard (1849–1921): Inventor of the rotary engine

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Jackson invented the first automatic railroad car coupler in 1897, and in 1882, he also patented a design for a new rotary steam engine.

Otis Boykin (1920-1982): Inventor of the pacemaker 

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Boykin patented 28 electronic devices, including a variable resistor used in guided missiles. But his most famous invention was the control unit for the artificial cardiac pacemaker which uses electrical impulses to maintain a regular heartbeat.

Keith Black (September 13, 1957-): Neurosurgeon and Engineer who specializes in the treatment of brain tumors

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When it comes to healing diseases of the brain, Keith Black is the most qualified man in the field. He patented an optical method for detecting Alzheimer’s disease and many more vaccines that reportedly help to cure cancer.