1. Carver, George Washington: rubber substitute, adhesives, dyes, pigment
2. Crum, George: The potato chip.
3. Dorticus, Clatonia Joaquin: A device for applying dyes to the sides of the soles and heels of shoes.
4. Morgan, Garrett: The traffic signal
5. Jan Matzeliger: Shoe Lasting machine enabled mass production of shoes.
6. William B. Purvis: machine for making Paper Bags
7. John J. Stanard: The Refrigerator
8. Sarah Boone: The Ironing Board
9. Elijah McCoy: Automatic lubricator for machines e.g cars
10. Lewis Howard Latimer: A carbon filament for light bulbs that gives them their light.
Discrimination of Africans and the consequences of it has been going on for hundreds of years. It has been perpetuated to every field of knowledge and Ideas as well. They have been in effect written out of history. The grand narrative has portrayed them as victims and only good for entertainment. Today they are seen in prominent positions of sports, entertainment and leadership. This has been nothing but a token gesture.
It is in my view that there needs to be a complete overhaul of how their history is taught not only to them but to all other races as well. There needs to be an emphasis on the scientific baselessness of race as a concept. It should be seen in its true light as nothing more than a tool that was used to justify the actions of Europeans then and now.
The language needs to change as well. When teaching slavery for instance it is eluded to that slavery was the same amongst African, Arabs and Europeans. This is a manifest falsehood. The truth is commercial slavery practiced by Europeans was particularly cruel and it denied the very humanity of Africans. The truth is not the same for Arabs for example. Slaves were treated with a lot more respect and many rose to be scholars, scientist and even at one point rulers. They were known as the dynasty of slaves. Amongst Africans they were incorporated into society to the extent that they intermarried. The infamous Zulu king Shaka Zulu was originally the son of a slave who was a concubine of the king.
This would change the perception of children of all races about Afro-Americans and it would change the false image they have of themselves. They would aspire to be more once they know they can be anything not just entertainment for whites because that is exactly what they become as athletes and entertainers.
“African American Inventors” PIONEERS,Inc. Web. Mar 18 2012
