WeDidIt[1].TheyHidItAfrican American history

These suspenders, called ?trouser supports and stretchers,? included practical and stylish features such as metal clasps.

Pencil Sharpener John Love 11/23/1897 594,114

(The) ?Real McCoy? Elijah McCoy 4/2/1843 Born
The term ?The Real McCoy? is used to describe anything that is of excellent quality. People began using that term about 130 years ago in honor of one of the most talented and skillful inventors in American history, a man with more than 50 patents beginning in 1872. (Although his year of birth is often listed as 1843, it might be 1844. The exact year is unknown because his records, like the records of most Africans during that period, were often inaccurate because of the indifference of slave-holding and other racist whites.)

Refrigeration Transport System Frederick Jones 7/12/49 2,303,857
(Although he patented it in 1949, he actually invented it in 1935.)

Security System- Home Marie Brown 12/2/69 3,482,037
This home protection system was the first to include television and video surveillance.

Statue of Liberty- A Black Female 1875
French historian Edourd de Laboulaye, who was the chairman of the French Anti-Slavery Society, proposed to the French government that the people of France present to the people of United States, through the American Abolitionist Society, the gift of a Statue of Liberty (with construction beginning in 1875) in recognition of the role of Black soldiers in ending slavery by winning the Civil War in this country. When the statue, sculpted by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, was presented in 1884 to the U.S. Minister to France, the minister replied that the Black female statue with broken chains at her feet and in her left hand would be offensive to American southerners.

Thermostat and Temperature Control System Frederick Jones 2/23/60 2,926,005

Toilet- Modern Bathroom Features Thomas Elkins 1/9/1872 122,518law office of
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?WE DID IT. THEY HID IT.?


In order to raise the consciousness of our African brothers and sisters, we must understand and apply the Akan concept of Sankofa, which means that in order to move forward we first have to take a step back. In other words, before we can be prepared for the future, we must comprehend the past. Therefore, here is a partial list of just some of the thousands of inventions, patents, improvements, discoveries, creations, and innovations by and pertaining to Africans in America and in Africa.


But before we begin, we should understand certain key terms, such as ?invention? and ?patent.? An invention is a process, design, or product- including a substantive improvement thereof- that is not previously known or not previously existing by the exercise of independent investigation and experiment. A patent is a grant given by the federal government for such a product, with that grant providing the exclusive right to make and sell the product for a term of years. Accordingly, patent holders- as are many of the Africans listed below- can legally be defined as actual ?inventors.?


It must be mentioned that although our ancestors have received credit for various inventions and patent ideas in America, we must realize that in many, if not most, cases, inventions and patent ideas were systematically stolen from us by those who enslaved and otherwise oppressed us from the 17th to mid-20th centuries and thereabouts. In fact, there were laws during a significant part of that period that barred our ancestors from filing lawsuits or testifying in court when they wanted to prove that their inventions and patent ideas had been stolen by whites.


This partial list was compiled to begin re-igniting a sense of ability and excellence in the minds of Africans as well as to dispel self-hating myths that have caused many of us to believe that white people?s water is wetter than Black people?s water. And now, without further ado, here is our ?We Did It. They Hid It? list with dates, patent numbers, and some commentary. Be proud about it and be loud about it; now that you have heard, you must spread the word!
MODERN AFRICAN HISTORY

Air Conditioner Unit Design Frederick Jones 4/28/42 D132,182

Art Museum Design (Philadelphia) Julian Abele 4/29/1881 Born
Abele (pronounced ?able?) was the Chief Designer at the prestigious Horace Trumbauer and Associates architectural firm from 1938-50. He attended the Institute for Colored Youth, which has since been transformed into Cheyney University, and in 1904 was the first African to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture. (Refer below to the section captioned ?Library.?)

Baby Carriage- Safety Leveler William Richardson 6/18/1889 405,599
This essential invention ended the constant and serious problem of babies falling out of carriages, most of which were inherently defective because they were built without a leveler to keep the carriage safely balanced.

Bicycle Frame- Folding/Separating Version Isaac Johnson 10/10/1899 634,823

Blimp (Air Ship)- Modern Version John Pickering 2/20/1900 643,975
This blimp (i.e., air ship) was the first to be powered by an electric motor and to have directional controls.

Blood Bank Dr. Charles Drew 1940

Bridge Safety Gate Humphrey Reynolds 10/7/1890 437,937

Chair- Folding John Purdy 6/11/1889 405,117
& Daniel Sadgwar

Clock (Refer Below To Watch) Benjamin Banneker 2/6/1753

Clothes Drier- Modern Forerunner George Sampson 6/7/1892 476,416

Computer- World?s Fastest Philip Emeagwali 1989
Emeagwali is the world?s leading supercomputer expert. Also, he actually invented an international network system that predated the current internet. CNN called him ?A father of the internet,? and President Bill Clinton described him as ?one of the great minds of the information age.? He holds several undergraduate and graduate degrees and has an IQ so high that it cannot be measured on conventional tests. He is a prolific inventor, so far having submitted 41 inventions to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. One of those inventions makes oil fields so productive that it has saved the U.S. hundreds of millions of dollars each year. (Refer below to the section captioned ?Weather Forecasting.?)

Curtain Rod Samuel Scottron 8/30/1892 481,720

Dry Cleaning Process Thomas Jennings 3/3/1821 3306X
Jennings is the first African to receive a U.S. patent. After earning money from his patent, he used those funds to buy his enslaved family?s freedom and to support the abolition movement. Also, in 1831, he served as the Assistant Secretary for the First Annual Convention of The People of Color (which, by the way, was held in Philadelphia).

Elevator- Automatic Electric Shaft Closing Alexander Miles 10/11/1887 371,207
This invention has saved hundreds of thousands of lives by drastically improving upon pre-existing and quite dangerous ascending/descending contraptions. Those contraptions (i.e., primitive elevators), when stopped on a floor other than that desired by a passenger, required that passenger to manually shut a door to cut off access to the shaft, which often caused that passenger to fall into that deep shaft.

Fire Escape- Portable Daniel McCree 11/11/1890 440,322