Every single day, you use inventions created by Black and Brown innovators. Traffic lights guide you safely through intersections. You watch color TV. You might use a home security system. You benefit from modern gas masks and safety equipment.
Yet most people have no idea who invented these everyday items or the incredible stories behind them. Prepare to have your mind blown as we reveal 15 items you use constantly that were invented by Black and Brown innovators.
Traffic Signal
Every time you stop at a red light and go on green, you're using Garrett Morgan's three-position traffic signal. Morgan, the son of former slaves, invented the yellow caution light that gives drivers warning before the light changes.
Color Television
At just 23 years old, Guillermo González Camarena invented the chromoscopic adapter that made color television possible. His system used rotating color filters to create full-color images.
Birth Control Pill
A 26-year-old Mexican chemistry student synthesized norethindrone - the compound that made the birth control pill possible. Over 100 million women worldwide use oral contraceptives today.
Home Security System
Feeling unsafe in her Queens, New York neighborhood, Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the first home security system with a camera, monitor, and two-way microphone. Her design is the basis for all modern home security.
Gas Mask / Safety Hood
Yes, Garrett Morgan again! He also invented the safety hood (early gas mask) that firefighters and soldiers use today. He personally used it to save workers trapped in a tunnel disaster.
Modern Hair Care Products
Madam C.J. Walker developed the first line of hair care products specifically for Black women. She became America's first female self-made millionaire, building a beauty empire.
Carbon Filament for Light Bulbs
While Edison gets credit for the light bulb, Lewis Latimer invented the carbon filament that made light bulbs practical and long-lasting. Without Latimer, Edison's bulbs would have burned out in minutes.
Blood Bank / Blood Storage
Dr. Charles Drew developed the process for storing and preserving blood plasma, creating the first blood banks. His work has saved millions of lives through blood transfusions.
Transdermal Patch
Zaffaroni invented the transdermal patch that delivers medicine through your skin. From nicotine patches to birth control patches to pain relief - his invention changed how we take medicine.
Laser Cataract Surgery
Dr. Patricia Bath invented the Laserphaco Probe that uses lasers to remove cataracts. She was the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent, and her device has restored sight to millions.
Ice Cream Scoop
Every ice cream cone you've ever enjoyed was made easier by Alfred L. Cralle's mechanical ice cream scoop. His design prevented ice cream from sticking and made scooping effortless.
Automatic Elevator Doors
Alexander Miles invented the automatic mechanism that opens and closes elevator doors. Before his invention, elevator shafts were open and extremely dangerous.
Laser Printer & Personal Computer
Mark Dean holds three of IBM's original nine PC patents and co-invented the ISA bus that allows devices like printers and monitors to plug into computers. Without Dean, modern PCs wouldn't exist.
Bread-Making Machine
Joseph Lee invented a machine that mixed and kneaded bread dough, revolutionizing commercial baking. He also invented a machine that turned stale bread into breadcrumbs.
Cell Phone Technology
Henry Sampson co-invented the gamma-electric cell - a device that converts gamma radiation into electricity. This technology became crucial for powering communication satellites that enable cell phones.
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