Book List

Astrochemist, Biochemist, Chappelle by Kamari Allah. Emmett Chappelle is the recipient of 14 U.S. patents for his work in developing techniques to detect bacteria in urine, blood, food, spinal fluid, and water.

A Chronology of Dr. Charles R. Drew by R. Gregory Christie. Dr. Charles R. Drew received U.S. Patent #2,301,710 in 1942 for a method of preserving blood.

Chum's Saratoga Chips by Harriette Washington-Williams. Commodore Vanderbilt complained about his potatoes being too thick so Chum made them paper thin and added salt. Vanderbilt loved them and potato chips were born.

Debrilla's Bag by Ayesha Abdus-Samad. Debrilla M. Ratchford applied for a patent in 1977 for her invention of a rolling suitcase.

Debrilla's Lightweight Luggage Carrier by Shimoda. Debrilla M. Ratchford, an airline stewardess, received U.S. Patent #4,094,391 in 1978 for her invention of a suitcase with wheels and transporting hook.

Don't Choke on Smoke...and other poisonous gases by Crystal James. Garrett A. Morgan received U.S. Patent #1,113,675 in 1914 for his "Safety Hood," commonly called the gas mask.

The Door Knob by Ruth E. Edwards. Osbourn Dorsey received a U.S. Patent for his improvement of the door knob.

The Dresser by Mary Flores Camacho and Alberto Camacho. John H. Jordan received U.S. Patent #219,927 in 1971 for his distinctive dresser.

The Eqyptians by Cleo Jarvis. Egyptians, a black race of people, were responsible for thousands of inventions including embalming, cosmetology, and papermaking.

From Slavery to Invention by Geraldine Murrill. A tableau of a parade of Black inventors who have enriched the lives of everyone.

George Washington Carver: A Man for all Seasons by Valerie Deas. George Washington Carver revolutionized agriculture by developing hundreds of products from peanuts, soybeans, pecans, sweet potatoes, and even weeds.

The Hairbrush by Ruth E. Edwards. Lyda Newman received U.S. Patent #614,335 in 1898 for her hairbrush with detachable handle that allowed the user to remove the head of the brush to clean it.

Hello Edison... by Ruth E. Edwards. Granville T. Woods has been called "The greatest colored inventor in the history of the race and equal, if not superior, to any inventor in the country . . . " He received more than 60 patents.

Inventors of African Ancestry by Ruth E. Edwards. Tributes to Benjamin Banneker, Jan Earnst Matzeliger, Elijah McCoy, Norbert Rillieux, and Granville T. Woods are recorded in individual pamphlets.

The Ironing Board by Eremnise Landsman. Sarah Boone received U.S. Patent #473,653 in 1892 for her improvement on the ironing board. Her design was narrow for use mainly on sleeves and ladies' clothing.

Latimer's Light by Sandra Redman. Lewis Howard Latimer, working with Joseph V. Nichols, invented the carbon filament for the bulb and created the electric lamp. U.S. Patent #247,097 was issued to him in 1881.

Lloyd P. Ray's Dust Pan by Ruth E. Edwards. Lloyd P. Ray received U.S. Patent #587,607 in 1897 for his metal collection plate with wooden handle that enabled sweepers to pick up waste without getting dirty hands.

Locks by Ruth E. Edwards. W.A. Martin held two lock patents, #407,738 (1889) and #443,945 (1890). The earliest known lock, estimated to be 4,000 years old, was common in Egypt.

One Lump or Two? By Ruth E. Edwards. Norbert Rillieux revolutionized the sugar industry with his vacuum pan evaporator that produced the white refined crystals that we take for granted today. He received U.S. Patents #3,237 (1843) and #4,879 (1846).

The Mail Box by Mingnon Morton. Phillip Downing's mail box provided security because mail did not enter the storage area until the first door was closed.

The Making of the Shoe by Wanda Jones. In 1883 Jan Earnst Matzeliger received U.S. Patent #274,297 for a lasting machine that could turn out a complete shoe.

The Medical Miracle by Francine J. Davis. Drs. Charles R. Drew discovered a way to preserve blood and Daniel Hale Williams performed the first open heart surgery.

The Philadelphia Confectioner by Harriette Washington-Williams. Augustus Jackson invented several ice cream recipes and methods of manufacturing ice cream.

The Real McCoy by Pamela Benders. Elijah McCoy's inventions allowed machines to be oiled automatically while they were moving. His inventions were used in trains, steamships, ocean liners, and factory machinery with people asking for "The Real McCoy," and not taking any substitutes for his products.

A Revolvin' SIT-U-ATE-tion by Irene M. Mays. Daniel Johnson received U.S Patent # 396,089 in 1888 for his rotary table with attachable chairs that allowed diners on ships to be served in rotation from one source of supply without danger or inconvenience to the server.

She's Got the World On a String by Sandra Redman. Trained as a mathematician and physicist Katherine Johnson worked on absorbing interplanetary problems of trajectories, space navigation, and the orbits of spacecraft.

Thomas Stewart's Mop by Dolores Taylor. Thomas W. Stewart received a patent for a mop with a built-in wringer device that was a step above all earlier styles.

The Traffic Light by Geraldine Murrill. Garrett A. Morgan is best known as the inventor of the traffic light, but he is also the genius behind the gas mask -- both inventions have saved thousands of lives.

What's Black and White and Read All Over? By Sandra Redman. John Henry Murphy, Sr. was the founder of the Afro-American Newspaper.

What's In the Fridge? by Ruth E. Edwards. John Standard received U.S. Patent #455,891 in 1891 for his invention of the refrigerator.

Who Was Benjamin Banneker? by Tanisha Thompson. Benjamin Banneker was an inventor, mathematician, astronomer, surveyor, and essayist. His hand-built wooden clock kept accurate time for over 50 years and is believed to be the first clock totally built in America.

Why We Wanna Be White by Cheryl Shakelton Hawkins. in her day Madame C.J. Walker was the major distributor of hair and grooming products for black people.