American Erased, Dec 14, 2025 #historydocumentary #blackhistory #americanhistory
⚠️ CORRECTION: The image shown
during the Granville Woods section at 8:52 is actually George Washington
Carver, not Woods. The narration about Woods' inventions is accurate. Thank you
to viewers for catching this error.
#historydocumentary #blackhistory #americanhistory #inventions
#education
How many Black inventors can you name? If you said one or two, you're not alone, and that's the problem.
This video covers every major Black inventor America forgot: from Garrett Morgan (traffic light, gas mask) to Mark Dean (IBM PC) to Patricia Bath (cataract surgery device). Twenty inventors whose inventions you use every single day.
📚 SOURCES:
-U.S. Patent Office Records
-Smithsonian NMAAHC (
-Black Inventors by Keith Holmes
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post also presents the complete transcript of this video without time stamps and without the ending statement to watch other videos in this YouTube channel's series.
The content of this post is presented for historical and educational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all of the inventors who are showcased in this video and thanks to this video's producer and publisher.
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AUTO-TRANSCRIPTION FOR THIS VIDEO
(This transcript is quoted without time stamps.)
"Every major black inventor America forgot-traffic lights, computers, pacemakers, refrigerated trucks, home security systems, light bulbs, potato chips... You use inventions by black Americans every single day, multiple times a day. But if I asked you to name five black inventors, you probably couldn't do it. That's not your fault. That's erasure.
For over a century, American history books taught Edison, Bell, and the Wright brothers. They didn't teach Garrett Morgan, Lewis Latimer, or Granville Woods. They made innovation look white. It wasn't.
Today, we're covering every major black inventor America forgot - 20 people whose inventions changed the world. Some you might have heard of. Most you haven't. All of them deserve better. Let's go.
Number 20. George Crumb - potato chips. 1853.
George Crumb was a chef at Moons Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York in 1853.
One night, a customer complained that his fried potatoes were too thick. Crumb, annoyed, sliced the potatoes paper thin, fried them until they were crispy, and sent them out as a joke. The customer loved them. Other diners wanted them, and the potato chip was born. Crumb never patented his invention. Potato chips became a massive industry worth billions today. And George Crumb's name [was] forgotten. Most people think potato chips just appeared. They didn't. A black chef in upstate New York invented them because a customer annoyed him.
Next. Number 19. Sarah Boon - improved ironing board. 1892.
Sarah Boon didn't invent the ironing board, but she invented the one you use. Before 1892, ironing boards were flat planks of wood. They didn't fit the shape of clothes. Ironing sleeves, curves, and fitted garments was nearly impossible. Sarah Boon, a formerly enslaved woman living in Connecticut, designed a narrow curved ironing board specifically for ironing women's clothing. She patented it in 1892. Her design became the standard. Today, every ironing board uses her design, but when you buy one at Target, there's no label that says based on Sarah Boon's 1892 patent. She's gone. The invention remains.
Next, number 18, Thomas Jennings - dry cleaning, 1821.
Thomas Jennings was the first black person to receive a US patent. In 1821, he patented a process called dry scouring, the precursor to modern dry cleaning. At the time, most clothing couldn't be washed with water. Jennings figured out how to clean delicate fabrics without damaging them. He used the money from his invention to buy his family out of slavery and fund abolitionist causes. Thomas Jennings was born free in New York, but his wife and children were enslaved. His invention freed them. Dry cleaning is a multi-billion dollar industry. Thomas Jennings started it and almost no one knows his name. Next.
Number 17. Valerie Thomas -3D imaging technology 1980.
Valerie Thomas worked for NASA. In 1980, she invented the illusion transmitter, a device that projects realistic three-dimensional images. It's the foundation of modern 3D imaging technology used in everything from medical imaging to television. Thomas was one of the only black women working at NASA during the space race. She managed projects for LANCSAT, the satellite program that captures images of Earth. Her 3D imaging invention was years ahead of its time. NASA still uses her technology, but if you ask most people who invented 3D imaging, they won't say Valerie Thomas.
Next, number 16. Bessie Blount Griffin - feeding devices for disabled veterans. 1951.
After World War II, thousands of veterans came home with missing limbs. Bessie Blunt Griffin, a physical therapist, saw soldiers struggling to feed themselves. So, she invented a device that allowed amputees to feed themselves using mouth and head movements. She tried to sell her invention to the US Veterans Administration. They rejected it. So, she gave the patent to the French government who actually used it to help their disabled veterans. America ignored her. France honored her. Bessie Blanc Griffin's feeding device helped thousands of disabled people regain independence. And the US government didn't care.
Next, number 15. Lonnie Johnson - Super Soaker, 1989.
Lonnie Johnson is a NASA engineer who worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter and the stealth bomber program. He holds over hundreds patents and his most famous invention, the Super Soaker. In 1989, Johnson was working on a heat pump when he accidentally created a powerful water stream. He realized it would make an incredible water gun. The Super Soaker became one of the bestselling toys of all time, generating over $1 billion in sales. Lonnie Johnson is a legitimate rocket scientist, and most people only know him for a water gun, if they know him at all.
Next, number 14, Philip Emigui - Supercomputer Algorithms, 1989.
Philip Emigwali is a computer scientist who figured out how to make 65,000 computers work together simultaneously. In 1989, he used this method to perform 3.1 billion calculations per second, the fastest computation at the time. His work laid the groundwork for modern internet infrastructure and supercomputing. Oil companies use his algorithms to find petroleum reserves. Weather prediction systems use his work. The modern internet relies on parallel processing that Imagali pioneered. He's been called the father of the internet, but if you Google who invented the internet, his name doesn't come up.
Next, number 13. Alexander Miles- automatic elevator doors. 1887.
Before 1887, elevator doors had to be closed manually. If someone forgot, people fell down the elevator shaft. It was dangerous. Alexander Miles, a black inventor from Ohio, patented automatic elevator doors that closed when the elevator moved. His invention made elevators safe. It became the standard. Every elevator you've ever been in uses Alexander Miles design. Elisha Otis gets credit for inventing the elevator. Alexander Miles made it safe to use, but Otis is famous. Miles is forgotten.
Next. Number 12. George Washington Carver . Agricultural Innovations 1900s.
You've probably heard of George Washington Carver, but you probably don't know what he actually did. Most people know he did something with peanuts. That's it. Carver was a botanist and agricultural scientist who revolutionized southern farming. After the Civil War, southern soil was destroyed by cotton farming. Carver taught farmers to rotate crops with peanuts and sweet potatoes to restore soil nutrients. Then he invented over 300 uses for peanuts, including plastics, dyes, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. Carver didn't patent most of his inventions. He believed they should be free for farmers. He changed agriculture. And most people think he just made peanut butter. He didn't even invent peanut butter.
Next. Number 11. Charles Drew- blood plasma storage and blood banks. 1940.
Charles Drew was a surgeon who invented the process for separating and storing blood plasma during World War II. His technique saved thousands of lives. He organized the first large-scale blood banks and set up the system for collecting and distributing blood for the Red Cross. Here's the tragic irony: The Red Cross initially refused to accept blood donations from black people. Drew, the man who invented the blood bank system, protested the policy. He was forced to resign. Charles Drew saved thousands of lives with his invention. And the organization he worked for segregated blood by race. In 1950, Drew died in a car accident. There's a myth that he bled to death because a whites only hospital refused to treat him. That's not true. But the fact that it's believable shows how racist medicine was.
Next number 10. Patricia Bath- laser fico probe for cataract surgery 1986.
Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist who invented the laser fico probe, a laser device that removes cataracts quickly and painlessly. Before her invention, cataract surgery was invasive and risky. Her device revolutionized the procedure. Bath was the first black female doctor to receive a medical patent. She dedicated her career to preventing blindness, especially in underserved communities. She founded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness. Millions of people can see today because of Patricia Bath's invention, but if you ask someone who invented laser cataract surgery, they won't know her name.
Next, number nine. Granville Woods electric railway and telegraph 1880 to 1900s.
Granville Woods held over 60 patents. He improved the telegraph, the telephone, and the electric railway system. His inventions allowed trains to communicate with each other to prevent collisions. He created the third rail system that powers subways. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell both tried to hire him. When they couldn't, they tried to steal his patents. Woods fought over 35 patent lawsuits and won almost all of them. Despite his brilliance, Woods died poor in 1910. His inventions are still used. His name is not.
Next. Number eight. Marie Van Brittan Brown - Home Security System, 1966.
Marie Van Brittan Brown was a nurse in Queens, New York. She worked odd hours and didn't feel safe at home. Police response times in her neighborhood were slow. So, in 1966, she invented the first home security system. Her system used cameras, monitors, two-way microphones, and a remote door lock. She could see who was at the door, talk to them, and unlock the door remotely or alert the police. She patented it in 1969. Every modern home security system is based on Marie Van Brttan Brown's design. Ring doorbells, ADT, Simply Safe. All of them use her concept and most people have never heard of her.
Next number seven, Jan Erns Matzeliger - show lasting machine 1883.
Before 1883, shoes were made by hand. A skilled worker could make 50 pairs of shoes a day. Jan Ernst Matzeliger, a black immigrant from Surinam, invented a machine that could make 700 pairs a day. His shoe lasting machine revolutionized the shoe industry. Shoes became affordable. Companies made millions. Matzeliger sold his patent for almost nothing and died poor at age 37 from tuberculosis. The shoe companies got rich. Matzeliger got nothing. And for over a century, no one knew his name.
Next. Number six, Elijah McCoy - automatic lubricator, 1872.
Elijah McCoy was a mechanical engineer who invented an automatic lubricator for steam engines Before his invention, trains had to stop frequently so workers could manually oil the engines. McCoy's device lubricated engines while they ran. His invention was so effective that buyers would ask if a machine had the real McCoy lubrication system. That's where the phrase comes from. "The real McCoy" means the genuine article named after Elijah McCoy. We use his phrase every day. Most people don't know it's named after a black inventor.
Next, number five, Frederick McKinley Jones - refrigerated trucks, 1940.
Frederick McKinley Jones invented portable refrigeration units for trucks and trains. Before his invention, transporting perishable food long distances was nearly impossible. His refrigeration system changed everything. Jones held over 60 patents. His refrigeration technology was used by the US military during World War II to preserve food and medicine. After the war, his company became Thermo King, one of the largest refrigeration companies in the world. Every refrigerated truck on the highway uses technology Frederick McKinley Jones invented, but when you see a Thermo King logo, there's no mention of him.
Next, number four, Otis Boyin - pacemaker components. 1959.
Otis Boyin was an electrical engineer who invented an improved electrical resistor used in computers, radios, and televisions. But his most important invention was a control unit for pacemakers. Boyin's resistor made pacemakers more reliable and precise. His technology has saved millions of lives. People with heart conditions are alive today because of Otis Boyin's work. He held 26 patents. He changed medical technology and most people have never heard his name.
Next, number three, Mark Dean - IBM personal computer, 1980s.
Mark Dean is a computer scientist who holds three of the original nine patents for the IBM personal computer. He co-invented the ISA bus, which allows devices like printers and monitors to connect to computers. He also led the team that created the first gigahertz processor. Mark Dean helped invent the
modern computer. The device you're watching this video on exists because of his work. He holds over 40 patents. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997. But when people think about who invented the personal computer, they think of Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, not Mark Dean.
Next, number two, Lewis Latimer - light bulb carbon filament, 1881.
Everyone knows Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, except he didn't. Not the version we use. Edison's early bulbs burned out in hours. They were impractical. Lewis Latimer, a black inventor and draftsman, invented the carbon filament that made light bulbs last longer and burn brighter. His filament design made electric lighting practical and affordable. Latimer worked with both Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. He drafted the patent for Bell's telephone. Lewis Latimer made the modern world brighter. Edison got the credit. Latimer got forgotten.
Next. Number one. Garrett Morgan- traffic light and gas mask. 1914 to 1923.
Garrett Morgan invented two things you interact with constantly. The traffic signal and the gas mask. In 1914, Morgan invented a safety hood with a breathing tube that filtered smoke and gas. It was the precursor to the modern gas mask. In 1916, there was an explosion in a tunnel under Lake Erie. Workers were trapped in toxic fumes. Morgan and his brother used his safety hoods to rescue 32 men. He became a hero. Then, people found out he was black. Orders for his safety hood dropped. Fire departments refused to buy from him. During World War I, the US military used his design, but didn't credit him. In 1923, Morgan invented the three-position traffic signal, the red, yellow, green light system we use today. He sold the patent to General Electric for $40,000. They made millions Morgan's name disappeared. Garrett Morgan saved lives with a gas mask and organized traffic with the traffic light. Two inventions that define modern life, and most Americans don't know he existed.
20 inventors, billions of dollars in industries they created, millions of lives saved by their work, and most Americans can't name a single one. This isn't ancient history. Mark Dean's computer patents are from the 1980s. Patricia Bat's cataract devices are from 1986. Lonnie Johnson's Super Soaker is from 1989. These aren't historical figures. These are people who shaped the world you live in right now. So why don't you know their names? Because for over a century, American history made innovation look white. textbooks taught Edison, Bell, and Ford. They didn't teach Morgan, Latimer, and Woods. The invention stayed. The inventors were erased. But we're fixing that."...
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