Dr. Patricia Bath: An ophthalmologist and laser scientist. She invented a new device & technique for cataract surgery known as laserphaco. She was also the first woman to chair an ophthalmology residency program in the U.S. (At Drew-UCLA). https://bit.ly/3GyE8En
Dr. George Carruthers: An aeronautical and astronautical engineer who worked for the US Naval Research Lab. He invented the first far-UV electronographic detector design that was robust enough for space. He developed the first moon-based observatory that was used by the Apollo 16 mission. https://go.nature.com/3grjlbd
Dr. Susan McKinney-Steward: The 3rd Black woman to earn a medical degree in the US, and 1st in New York State. She had her own practice in Brooklyn, co-founded the Brooklyn Women’s Homeopathic Hospital and Dispensary. She also sat on the board of, and practiced medicine at the Brooklyn Home for Aged Colored People. https://bit.ly/3GzNzTT
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams: A physician and surgeon who had his own practice in Chicago. He adopted sterilization procedures for his office based on the findings of Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister. He performed the first successful heart surgery in 1893. Was elected as the only Black charter member of the American College of Surgeons in 1913. https://bit.ly/35WCsb1
Dr. Jane C. Wright: A physician who did groundbreaking cancer research. Her testing of new chemicals on human leukemias and other cancers of the lymphatic system laid the foundations for chemotherapy. https://bit.ly/3Gz7D91
Lewis Howard Latimer: Self-taught in the art of mechanical drawing. Worked as a patent draftsman. Invented an evaporative air conditioner, an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments for light bulbs, and an improved toilet system for railroad cars. https://bit.ly/3HATCsv
Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes: First Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics in 1943. She taught for 47 years and was the first woman on the DC Board of Education where she fought racial segregation and supported a lawsuit to desegregate the school system. https://bit.ly/3HCaRdg
Garrett Morgan: Almost entirely self-taught, he obtained his first patent for an improved sewing machine. This led to his invention that gave him financial freedom: hair straightening cream. Then in 1914 he patented a breathing device or hood that became the prototype and precursor for the gas masks used during WWI. He also invented/patented the 3 way traffic light that is the precursor to our modern traffic lights. https://bit.ly/3ovT7IW