African America Inventions – Contributions Made To America

Anytime there is a month or day designated to people, places, or things, it's a time to celebrate contributions and culture or bring about awareness and memorialize moments in history. America is extremely diverse, which is why there is a Heritage Month throughout the year to recognize and learn about the beautiful and unique cultures that make this country so great.

For a complete Heritage Month schedule of events and more information about the legacies and contributions of the diverse communities that have helped to shape this great nation click, HERE. Future Heritage Month events are as follows:

March: Women's History Month
April: Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month
May: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
June: Pride Month
September: Latinx Heritage Month (Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean)
October: LGBTQ+ History Month
November: Native American Heritage Month

February of course is Black History Month. One thing I like to highlight each year is the tremendous contributions African American inventors have made to America and the world. For a complete list of Black inventions, click HERE. These inventions impact our daily lives and are evidence that all of us possess a gift to share with the world.

Saratoga / Potato Chips - George Crum & Catherine Wicks

Folding Cabinet Bed - Sarah Goode

Inoculation/Vaccination - Onesimus

Gas Mask - Garrett Morgan

Blood Bank - Charles Richard Drew

Home Security System - Mary Van Brittan Brown

Three-Light Traffic Light - Garrett Morgan

Portable Air-Cooling Unit & Refrigerated Trucks - Frederick McKinley Jones

Automatic Elevator Doors - Alexander Miles

Color IBM PC Monitor/ Gigahertz Chip - Mark Dean

Super Soaker - Lonnie Johnson

300+ Products/Uses From The Peanut (dyes, plastics, and gasoline)- George Washington Carver

Laserphaco Device & Technique (remove cataracts) - Patricia Bath

Automatic Gear Shift, Beer Tap, & Automobile Direction Signals - Richard Spikes

Automatic Clothes Dryer - George T. Sampson

Standing Dustpan - Lloyd P. Ray

Golf Tee - Dr. George Grant

Folding Chair - John E. Purdy and Daniel A. Sadgwar

Ice Cream Scooper - Alfred L. Cralle

Lawn Mower - John Albert Burr

Rotary-Head Lawn Sprinkler - Joseph A. Smith

Evaporative Air Conditioner, Modern Light Bulb (improved Carbon Filaments), & Modern Toilet System for railroad cars

The Wringing Mop - Thomas W. Stewart

Baby Buggy & Baby Stroller (with 4 independent wheels) - William H. Richardson

Airplane Propelling - James S. Adams

Chess - Africa
In Ancient Egypt, board games were part of religious life, symbolizing the struggle between good and evil and rebirth or resurrection. African games known as Mancala or Wari are the oldest, dating back to around 5000 BC. However, the most popular game was Senat, now known as Chess. Paintings on the walls in the tomb Queen Nefertiti, wife of Ramses II (1304-1237 BC) show her playing Senat. Board games Senat, Mancala, and four others were discovered in the tomb of King Tutankhamen (1348-1339 BC) The British Museum houses a primitive Egyptian board game of checkers from 1000 BC, along with four other board games found carved in the roof tiles of an Egyptian temple that date back to 1400 and 1300 BC.