BLACK INVENTIONS | ENGLISH MAJORS | SEASON 3 | EP 07
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Black inventors created essential items like the traffic light, Super Soaker, blood transfusion bag, and automatic elevator doors.
- ❖The origin of Jenga is attributed to Ghanaian children, later repackaged by a British woman.
- ❖Madam C.J. Walker pioneered hair care products and affiliate marketing, achieving significant wealth.
- ❖Black cultural innovations include the unique style of playing Uno and the rhythmic evolution of basketball.
- ❖The Super Bowl halftime show's modern format is indirectly linked to 'In Living Color's' counter-programming.
- ❖Innovation is often stifled by big business prioritizing profit over genuine progress.
- ❖Black women are highlighted as exceptionally detail-oriented and effective problem-solvers, especially in areas requiring scrutiny.
Insights
1Essential Inventions by Black Innovators
The hosts highlight numerous critical inventions by Black individuals, including the stop light by Garrett Morgan, the Super Soaker by Lonnie Johnson, the blood transfusion bag by Dr. Charles Drew, automatic elevator doors by Alexander Miles, and the refrigerated truck by Frederick McKinley Jones. These inventions addressed practical problems and significantly improved safety, convenience, and quality of life.
Garrett Morgan (Stop light), Lonnie Johnson (Super Soaker), Dr. Charles Drew (blood transfusion bag), Alexander Miles (automatic elevator doors), Philip Downing (mailbox), Madam C.J. Walker (hot comb, hair products), Mark Dean (gigahertz chip), Frederick McKinley Jones (refrigerated truck), Lewis Latimer (light bulb filament), Benjamin Banneker (Washington D.C. design, almanac), Judy Reed (dough kneader and roller), Ellen Eglin (clothes wringer).
2Cultural Impact and Uncredited Origins
Beyond patented inventions, the episode discusses cultural innovations and uncredited origins. Jenga is cited as a game originating from Ghana, later repackaged. The modern Super Bowl halftime show is attributed to the influence of 'In Living Color' diverting viewership from traditional, 'whack' halftime performances. Jazz and the banjo are noted as Black cultural creations, with jazz instruments being repurposed from classical music. The hosts also emphasize the unique 'flavor' Black players brought to basketball, influencing its rules and style.
Jenga's origin in Ghana (), 'In Living Color's' impact on Super Bowl halftime shows (), Jazz as a Black invention (), Banjo's African origin (), Black influence on basketball rules and style ().
3Systemic Suppression of Black Innovation
The hosts argue that Black inventors and their contributions have been systematically suppressed, stolen, or uncredited, hindering overall technological progress. They suggest that if Black people were allowed to invent freely, society would have advanced much further, citing examples like flying cars. This suppression is linked to big business prioritizing profit over innovation and a general reluctance to acknowledge Black ingenuity.
Discussion of inventions being 'stolen from black people' (), 'technologically we're being held back' (), 'We'd have been half flying cars if it was up to black people' (), 'We don't prioritize profits. We prioritize safety.' ().
4Black Women as Detail-Oriented Problem Solvers
The hosts specifically highlight Black women as exceptionally detail-oriented and effective problem-solvers, suggesting they should be in roles like inspectors. They use the analogy of a mother's checklist before leaving the house and a Black woman's ability to 'find something wrong' with a corporation or a phone as evidence of their meticulous nature.
Discussion of Black women's detail orientation (), 'When you go out the house, your mama, your mama went through the whole checklist' (), 'You want somebody to find something wrong, get a black woman. Black women need to be all the inspectors.' ().
Bottom Line
Big business prioritizes maximizing existing business models over fostering radical innovation, potentially holding back societal progress (e.g., flying cars).
This mindset suggests that truly transformative technologies might not emerge from established corporations but from disruptors or those unburdened by current profit structures.
Entrepreneurs can focus on 'unprofitable' but highly impactful innovations, knowing that established players might overlook them due to short-term profit motives.
Technological biases exist where systems (like AI facial recognition or automatic soap dispensers) are not adequately programmed to recognize or function for Black individuals.
This highlights a lack of diversity in tech development teams and creates practical disadvantages and feelings of exclusion for Black users.
Develop and market technology specifically designed with diverse user bases in mind, or create auditing tools to identify and rectify existing biases in AI and automated systems.
The 'primate smile' observation suggests that a forced or overly enthusiastic smile from certain individuals can be a sign of disingenuousness or predatory intent.
This offers a non-verbal cue for assessing trustworthiness in business or personal interactions, particularly when discussing intellectual property or sensitive information.
Develop training programs or observational guides for individuals in high-stakes negotiation or creative fields to recognize subtle cues of potential exploitation or dishonesty.
Opportunities
Develop a 'Black Inventors' educational platform or curriculum
Create an interactive platform or curriculum that teaches the history of Black inventors and their contributions, focusing on the stories, challenges, and impact of their innovations, similar to what Madam C.J. Walker did with her training programs.
AI/Tech solutions for diverse populations
Launch a tech company focused on developing AI and automated systems (e.g., facial recognition, smart home devices) that are specifically trained and optimized for diverse user demographics, addressing current biases where technology often fails to recognize or serve Black individuals effectively.
Portable, multi-functional cooking appliance inspired by the George Foreman Grill concept
Create a highly portable, versatile cooking device that can 'slap whatever on this bad boy' and be used in various settings (e.g., cheap hotels, camping) without needing a full kitchen setup, emphasizing ease of use and broad applicability.
Key Concepts
Ingenuity Born from Necessity
Many Black inventions arose from the need to 'make a way out of nowhere' due to systemic limitations or to improve existing, inefficient systems, demonstrating problem-solving under constraint.
Cultural Appropriation and Erasure
The concept that inventions and cultural practices originating from marginalized communities are often adopted, rebranded, and credited to dominant groups, leading to historical inaccuracies and economic disadvantage for the original creators.
Lessons
- Actively seek out and learn about Black inventors and cultural innovators to gain a more complete understanding of history and technological progress.
- Support and promote Black-owned businesses and creators, recognizing the value of their unique perspectives and contributions.
- Be vigilant about protecting intellectual property and cultural innovations, understanding the historical pattern of appropriation and ensuring proper credit and compensation.
Quotes
"You can't get rid of information. It's on all our refrigerators. Your grandma got that little paper with all the black inventions."
"We got ingenuity that come out of making a way out of nowhere. We ain't have certain shit. That didn't mean we wasn't going to have a way to get shit done."
"Innovation is out the window because now you trying to maximize this business."
"You want somebody to find something wrong, get a black woman. Black women need to be all the inspectors."
"Anytime you bring a smile to a white man's face, man, go lawyer up. Get a patent on whatever you just did."
Q&A
Recent Questions
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