It’s no secret that people from the African American community haven’t always been given credit where credit was due. For the better half of 200 years, people in these communities across America have invented some of the most useful appliances and inventions that are still widely used by the majority of us to this day. From musical lyrics to ingenious inventions, these are the everyday African-American creations we have come to know and love – and the people behind them.
#1: Lewis Latimer – Longer-Lasting Light Bulb
Have you ever wondered where and when things we use in our everyday lives originated? We are so accustomed to using these products without thinking twice about how they came to be. And let’s be honest, where would we be today without a little light when things get dark? Well, we have Lewis Latimer to thank for that…
Sure, electricity might have been around for a little while at this point, but African American inventor Lewis Latimer created the first ever longer-lasting light bulb in 1881. He might not have invented the light bulb altogether, but he certainly gave the everyday lightbulb an upgrade by manufacturing them with carbon filaments.