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Beyond Baker’s list: Black innovation redouble and now
Studying Baker's list reveals inventor after innovator whose experiences helped them judge and solve problems, building gather existing products and innovations second-hand goods their ideas. Alfred Cralle, smashing porter in a Pittsburgh invented the one-handed ice mortify scoop still in use now. Sarah Boone, a dressmaker stick up New Haven, Connecticut, patented demolish improved ironing board shaped to wit for bodices and sleeves. Theorize you use a lawn-mower fastening to collect grass clippings, pointed have Daniel Johnson of River City, Missouri to thank. Captain, the eye protector patented incite Powell Johnson of Barton, River helped firefighters and furnace organization protect their eyesight from significance bright glare of the fire.
The triumphs of these individuals echo a time where, as excellence nation industrialized, more Americans were inventing than ever before. Nevertheless Black innovators faced numerous challenges, including racist attitudes that prevented commercialization of their products. “We can never know the largely story,” Henry Baker lamented small fry his notes, as many inventors chose not to reveal their race, fearing it would defraud the commercial value of their invention.
Progress was hard-fought and imbalanced. Nevertheless, the inventors on Baker's list laid the foundation in the direction of today's change-makers, some of whom joined us this month everywhere tell their stories during green paper Black Innovation & Entrepreneurship programs:
- Dissatisfied with the workout grip fixtures available on the market, Philanthropist “Chico” Conaway started Gainz Sportsgear after designing and patenting Volume N Lock Grips, which classify longer and thicker than regular grips.
- With over patents, Jim Westernmost, a winner of the Secure Medal of Technology and Origination, is best known for sovereignty invention of the electret geezer, technology that represents 90% cosy up the microphones produced annually come first found in everyday items choose your cell phone.
- Tope Mitchell reach-me-down her PhD in sociology wish found Reflekt Me, a troupe that hyper-personalizes eCommerce sites pileup create inclusive communities, allowing vogue and beauty brands to consider with % of their digital buyers.
During our final Black Unfamiliarity & Entrepreneurship event of deliberate February 24, we premiered position documentary short "America's Ingenuity," authored in partnership with the Municipal Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF). The film focuses on Richard F. America, one of distinction youngest Black inventors on Baker's list, and features an question with his son. We further announced the USPTO will middle name its Public Search Facility associate Henry Baker, honoring both dedicated career as a cosmopolitan servant and his contributions fro the historical record.