Other|Historical Figures

Black Inventions We'd Be Completely Lost Without

Damon Davis
Updated July 3, 2024 15 items
Ranked By
1.6K votes
341 voters

If your list of Black inventors begins and ends with George Washington Carver, you have so much more to learn. Black inventors and their inventions have been changing the world for the better for hundreds of years. Believe it or not, you've no doubt used tons of Black inventions over the course of your life, many of which you may not have even known were created by African American innovators. For instance did you know that the Super Soaker, refrigerated trucks, and pencil sharpeners where all Black inventions?  

We've gathered up a collection of brilliant inventions you probably use in your every day life, all of which were invented by Black people. Whether you realize it or not, every time you sit down to eat a bag of potato chips or play video games at home, you have industrious African Americans to thank. Whether it's world-changing inventions like the concept of a blood bank, or smaller but no less valuable objects like the dust pan or golf tee, check out these modern day objects that were created by Black inventors. Vote up the ones you'd be lost without.

  • 1

    Street Sweepers

    Street Sweepers

    These days it's hard to imagine having to sweep up every single piece of litter and debris on the street by hand, but prior to 1896, that's exactly how things worked. Everything changed when Charles Brooks invented a truck with huge brushes that could cover much larger areas of the road in a much shorter time. These days, we know it as the street sweeper. 

    63 votes
    Necessity?
  • 2

    The Modern Refrigerator

    The Modern Refrigerator
    Prior to 1870, the closest thing they had to a refrigerator was a huge container you could put food in and surround with ice. Needless to say, food didn't last very long inside such contraptions, which is why Thomas Elkins decided to shake things up a bit. Elkins developed a system that used metal cooling coils to bring the temperature of a container down to freezing temperature, allowing it to keep perishables fresh without having to worry about huge chunks of melting ice.
    92 votes
    Necessity?
  • 3

    The Modern Home Video Gaming Console

    The Modern Home Video Gaming Console
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    If you love to play on your Playstation, Xbox, or Wii, then give it up for a guy by the name of Gerald A. Lawson. He created the first home video gaming system with interchangeable cartridges, offering players the chance to play all of their favorite games from the comfort of their own houses.
    104 votes
    Necessity?
  • 4

    The Protective Public Mailbox

    The Protective Public Mailbox
    Before 1891, if you dropped a letter or package into a public mailbox, all you could do was cross your fingers and pray it got to its destination unscathed. Not only were thieves a common concern for the patrons of semi-open mailboxes, but weather as well. A whole bag of letters could be destroyed by one good rain or snow. It was a man by the name of Philip B. Downing who invented a public mailbox design that featured both an outer and inner safety door, ensuring that when a letter or package went in, it would be safe until it was  picked up by the mailman. Downing's design was the precursor for the public mailboxes we have today.
    64 votes
    Necessity?
  • 5

    Carbon Filament Light Bulbs

    Carbon Filament Light Bulbs
    Though the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison, it may not have become a staple in homes around the world if it weren't for an inventor named Lewis Latimer. Edison invented the electric bulb, but his prototype didn't burn long enough to be of practical use. In 1881, however, Latimer discovered a way to use a carbon filament to produce a much longer lasting light bulb. It was also much more practical and way cheaper than Edison's original model. Latimer went on to work with Alexander Graham Bell to help draft the concept of the first telephone in 1876.
     
     
    64 votes
    Necessity?
  • 6

    Potato Chips

    Potato Chips

    The story of the potato chip started back in 1853 when a man named George Crum was working as a chef in Saratoga Springs, NY. Frustrated that an order of fries was sent back to the kitchen for being too thick, Crum decided to take revenge on his customer by chopping pieces of potato as thinly as he could, cooking them until they were burned to a crisp, and promptly returning them to the complainer. Much to his dismay, the customer absolutely loved the chips and they quickly became one of the most popular items on the menu.

     

    97 votes
    Necessity?