100 Things You Didn’t Know Where Made by Black Inventors

Black inventors have been making our lives easier for centuries, and on Black History Month, Holy Culture loves to give those amazing men and women their flowers.

Over the last 30 years, Black inventors, engineers, scientists, and technologists have continued to shape the modern world in ways that are often overlooked, undercredited, or completely erased from mainstream narratives. From the infrastructure behind internet phone calls and GPS navigation to breakthroughs in medical technology, energy systems, gaming, and digital media, Black innovation is woven into the systems we rely on every day.

These inventions are proof of imagination paired with persistence, curiosity backed by skill, and vision that stretches forward. The work highlighted here shows how Black innovators don’t just solve problems for today; they build foundations that others can stand on tomorrow. Making room for the next generation to dream bigger, build smarter, and believe their ideas belong in the future.

It is our honor to present to you 100 innovations, discoveries, and technologies made by Black inventors. 

1. Traffic signal — Garrett Morgan (1923)
2. Gas mask — Garrett Morgan (1914)
3. Automatic elevator doors — Alexander Miles (1887)
4. Shoe-lasting machine — Jan Matzeliger (1883)
5. Refrigerated trucks — Frederick McKinley Jones (1940)
6. Portable refrigeration units — Frederick McKinley Jones (1940s)
7. Cold-chain food logistics systems — Frederick McKinley Jones (1940s)
8. Blood bank system — Charles Drew (1941)
9. Blood plasma preservation — Charles Drew (1940)
10. Home security system — Marie Van Brittan Brown (1966)
11. Electret microphone — James West (1962)
12. Carbon filament for light bulbs — Lewis Latimer (1881)
13. Electric railway telegraph — Granville T. Woods (1887)
14. Railway signaling system — Granville T. Woods (1890s)
15. Automatic train control — Granville T. Woods (1901)
16. Engine lubrication system — Elijah McCoy (1872)
17. Precision oil cups — Elijah McCoy (1872)
18. Sugar-refining evaporation process — Norbert Rillieux (1843)
19. Seed planter — Henry Blair (1834)
20. Cotton planter — Henry Blair (1836)
21. Clothes dryer — George T. Sampson (1892)
22. Folding cabinet bed — Sarah Goode (1885)
23. Improved ironing board — Sarah Boone (1892)
24. Mechanical egg beater — Willis Johnson (1884)
25. Ice cream scoop — Alfred L. Cralle (1897)
26. Fire escape ladder — Joseph Winters (1878)
27. Street sweeping machine — Charles Brooks (1896)
28. Lawn sprinkler system — Joseph Smith (1897)
29. Electric fire-alarm improvements — Lewis Latimer (1890s)
30. Electric trolley wheel — Granville T. Woods (1890)
31. Pacemaker control resistor — Otis Boykin (1959)
32. Missile guidance resistor — Otis Boykin (1961)
33. Laser cataract surgery probe — Patricia Bath (1988)
34. Tele-ophthalmology techniques — Patricia Bath (1990s)
35. GPS mathematical modeling — Gladys West (1970s–1980s)
36. Satellite geodesy calculations — Gladys West (1970s)
37. Illusion transmitter (early 3D imaging) — Valerie Thomas (1980)
38. Personal computer architecture (IBM PC) — Mark Dean (1981)
39. Color PC monitor system — Mark Dean (1984)
40. Computer bus architecture — Mark Dean (1980s)
41. Gigahertz processor advancements — Mark Dean (1999)
42. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) — Marian Croak (1990s)
43. Call-waiting technology — Marian Croak (1990s)
44. Digital voice compression — Marian Croak (1990s)
45. GIF animation technology — Lisa Gelobter (1990s)
46. Online video animation frameworks — Lisa Gelobter (1990s)
47. High-pressure water propulsion system (Super Soaker) — Lonnie Johnson (1989)
48. High-efficiency heat-pump systems — Lonnie Johnson (1990s)
49. Solid-state battery prototypes — Lonnie Johnson (2010s)
50. Energy-efficient HVAC systems — Lonnie Johnson (1990s)
51. Firefighter safety hood — Garrett Morgan (1914)
52. Electrical relay systems — Granville T. Woods (1890s)
53. Automatic railroad braking systems — Granville T. Woods (1901)
54. Railway safety communication systems — Granville T. Woods (1890s)
55. Electric power transmission improvements — Granville T. Woods (1890s)
56. Signal lamps for public safety — Garrett Morgan (1923)
57. Mechanical bell-ringing device — Joseph Winters (1878)
58. Adjustable window guard — Joseph Winters (1878)
59. Improved gas-heating furnace — Frederick McKinley Jones (1930s)
60. Ventilation and heat-regulation systems — Frederick McKinley Jones (1930s)
61. Water purification methods
62. Solar heating systems
63. Thermal energy storage systems
64. Industrial safety signaling devices — Garrett Morgan (1920s)
65. Factory automation lubrication systems — Elijah McCoy (1870s)
66. Portable medical refrigeration — Frederick McKinley Jones (1940s)
67. Military field refrigeration units — Frederick McKinley Jones (1940s)
68. Aircraft de-icing systems
69. Helicopter transmission components
70. Optical lens-grinding techniques
71. Surgical instrument sterilization systems
72. Medical imaging enhancement software
73. Telemedicine diagnostic platforms
74. Wearable health-monitoring systems
75. Digital blood-flow measurement technology
76. Emergency response dispatch systems
77. Smart traffic-flow modeling
78. Urban mobility analytics platforms
79. Clean-water filtration membranes
80. Smart-grid energy-distribution systems
81. Wind-energy storage optimization
82. Cybersecurity intrusion-detection systems
83. Secure digital payment authentication
84. Fraud-detection algorithms
85. Speech-to-text accessibility tools
86. Captioning technology for the hearing-impaired
87. Digital classroom learning platforms
88. Remote learning infrastructure systems
89. Touch-screen usability enhancements
90. Wireless-charging optimization
91. Smartphone audio-input systems — James West (2000s adoption)
92. Video compression algorithms
93. Streaming-media infrastructure components
94. Computer gaming cartridge systems
95. Video-game audio processing engines
96. Facial-recognition algorithm improvements
97. Autonomous-vehicle sensor-fusion systems
98. Smart thermostat logic systems
99. Internet network-routing improvements
100. Digital animation pipelines