From traffic lights to elevator doors and door knobs what are the moments of everyday blackness in our lives? The question was sparked in a debate with a couple of friends on how Black culture and inventions in the future should no longer be seen as the exception but as part of the norm of modern societies when suddenly it occurred to me, ‘hold on, what are we talking about! Black culture is already part of the day-to-day norm of modern societies. The knowledge has simply been forgotten, whitewashed, or erased over time.’ In the spirit of uncovering moments of Everyday Blackness here is a list of common everyday objects from the clothes dryer, to the biscuite cutter and dust pan that you use on a daily basis and might never have known were invented by individuals from the global Black community.
– Asoka Esuruoso
Traffic Light
Elevator Doors
Door Knob
Black Inventors and their Inventions List
air conditioning unit Frederick M. Jones July 12, 1949
auto cut-off switch Granville T. Woods January 1, 1839
automatic gear shift Richard Spikes February 28, 1932
rotating baby buggy W.H. Richardson June 18, 1899
folding bicycle frame L.R. Johnson October 10, 1899
biscuit cutter A.P. Ashbourne November 30, 1875
blood plasma bag Charles Drew Approx. 1945
chamber commode T. Elkins January 3, 1897
clothes dryer G. T. Sampson June 6, 1862
curtain rod S. R. Scratton November 30, 1889
curtain rod support William S. Grant August 4, 1896
door knob O. Dorsey December 10, 1878
door stop O. Dorsey December 10, 1878
dust pan Lawrence P. Ray August 3, 1897
egg beater Willie Johnson February 5, 1884
electric lampbulb Lewis Latimer March 21, 1882
automatic elevator door Alexander Miles October 11, 1867
eye protector P. Johnson November 2, 1880
fire escape ladder J. W. Winters May 7, 1878
fire extinguisher T. Marshall October 26, 1872
folding bed L. C. Bailey July 18, 1899
folding chair Brody & Surgwar June 11, 1889
fountain pen W. B. Purvis January 7, 1890
furniture caster O. A. Fisher 1878
gas mask Garrett Morgan October 13, 1914
golf tee T. Grant December 12, 1899
guitar Robert F. Flemming, Jr. March 3, 1886
deconstructable hair brush Lydia O. Newman November 15, 1800’s
horse shoe J. Ricks March 30, 1885
ice cream scooper A. L. Cralle February 2, 1897
improv. sugar making Norbet Rillieux December 10, 1846
insect-destroyer gun A. C. Richard February 28, 1899
ironing board Sarah Boone December 30, 1887
key chain F. J. Loudin January 9, 1894
lawn mower L. A. Burr May 19, 1889
lawn sprinkler J. W. Smith May 4, 1897
lemon squeezer J. Thomas White December 8, 1893
lock W. A. Martin July 23, 18–
lubricating cup Ellijah McCoy November 15, 1895
lunch pail James Robinson 1887
mail box Paul L. Downing October 27, 1891
mop Thomas W. Stewart June 11, 1893
peanut butter George Washington Carver 1896
pencil sharpener J. L. Love November 23, 1897
phone transmitter Granville T. Woods December 2, 1884
record player arm Joseph Hunger Dickenson January 8, 1819
refrigerator J. Standard June 14, 1891
riding saddles W. D. Davis October 6, 1895
rolling pin John W. Reed 1864
shampoo headrest C. O. Bailiff October 11, 1898
spark plug Edmond Berger February 2, 1839
stethoscope Imhotep Ancient Egypt
stove T. A. Carrington July 25, 1876
straightening comb Madam C. J. Walker Approx 1905
street sweeper Charles B. Brooks March 17, 1890
thermostat control Frederick M. Jones February 23, 1960
traffic light Garrett Morgan November 20, 1923
tricycle M. A. Cherry May 6, 1886
typewriter Burridge & Marshman April 7, 1885
For more please visit:
http://www.blackinventions101.com/inventionslist.html
Arriving In The Future 