Lesser Known Black History Facts Everyone Should Know
Black History Month is a time for many things. It’s a time of reflection. A time of celebration. It’s also a time when we can collectively bask in appreciation for all the fine, inventive, and necessary contributions that our culture has gifted the world.
It’s pretty amazing that you’d be hard-pressed to walk a city block without coming across something that a Black person has created or improved. Professional sports in this country wouldn’t be the same without Black athletes. The auto, health, and food industries have all benefited – greatly, mind you – by Black minds.
But aren’t you tired of hearing the same, mundane Black History facts every single year? We’ve all heard identical stories since grade school, which is why we want to take you down a different path this time around.
We’re literally in a different era for everything, including Black History. Gone are the days when the basic stories and minimalistic details would suffice. In other words, let’s kick it up a notch.
Yes, George Washington Carver was ‘the peanut man’, and came up with more than 300 uses for the world’s most famous legume. However, did you know that he also was among the first to work with and find additional uses for soybeans? Carver was making non-dairy cheese with soy decades before it became a trendy endcap item at your gourmet grocery store.
Carver’s agricultural expertise is just the tip of today’s iceberg. There are a plethora of lesser-known Black History facts that we can’t wait for you to experience. Continue scrolling to see our favorites, and let us know which ones you liked the most by commenting down below!
1. Dr. Marian Croak – Inventor of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Dr. Marian Croak, she invented the VoIP, which allows us to talk and share multi-media via the internet. She had a big part in developing AT&T, and she modernized the internet as we know it. Without her, twitter and smartphones wouldn’t exist pic.twitter.com/4SCSNzs9aI
— ᴮˡᵃᶜᵏ ᴸᶦᵛᵉˢ ˢᵗᶦˡˡ ᴹᵃᵗᵗᵉʳ ᵂᵃˢʰ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᴴᵃⁿᵈˢ (@JazmineIsTiny) June 5, 2020
2. Lisa Gelobter – Her Groundwork Led to the Invention of GIFs
Good morning and happy Juneteenth.
A Black woman, Lisa Gelobter, is responsible for gif animation pic.twitter.com/v5355RtYWg
— TEACH YA MAN HOW TO SQUABBLE (@CascadeCoop) June 19, 2020
3. Mary Van Brittan Brown – Co-Inventor of the First Home Security System
Home Security System, Co-Invented by Mary Van Brittan Brown in 1966. pic.twitter.com/0ZLtAfQPqS
— The Black Circle LLC. (@TBlackcircle) February 3, 2021
4. Daniel Hale Williams, MD – Performed First Open Heart Surgery
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, a black cardiologist, performed the very first sucessful open-heart surgery and also founded the first non-segragated hospital. pic.twitter.com/MCmsZRmaPU
— AFRICAN & BLACK HISTORY (@AfricanArchives) March 8, 2022
5. Frederick McKinley Jones – Inventor of the Mobile Refrigerator
Frederick McKinley Jones defied the odds. His inventions in cooling made it possible for our soldiers in WWII to receive the food and medicine they needed. pic.twitter.com/sWVtBbFYZ5
— Burgess Owens (@BurgessOwens) October 31, 2021
6. James E. West – Co-Inventor of First Compact, Sensitive Microphone
James E. West is an inventor and professor who developed the technology which is now used in modern microphones, including the microphones found in phones, camcorders, hearing aids and more. pic.twitter.com/OMduI2javo
— ▌│█║▌║▌║ 𝕁 . 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 ▌│█║▌║▌║ (@PeaceSincere70s) February 7, 2022
7. Thomas L. Jennings – Invented Dry Cleaning
Random #BlackHistoryMonth fact….
The creator of modern dry cleaning was a Foundational Black American named Thomas L. Jennings pic.twitter.com/hVcXZFHZy0
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) February 1, 2020
8. Mark Dean – Invented the Color Computer Monitor, Gigahertz Chip
For #BlackHistoryMonth, we celebrate Mark Dean, who helped change the way we see things when he invented the color computer monitor. #ExpnKaribu pic.twitter.com/FvahVCoeEF
— Experian (@Experian_US) February 26, 2019
9. Fritz Pollard – First Black QB and Coach in the NFL
This is Fritz Pollard: The first black quarterback in the NFL’s formative years – and also its first black coach. pic.twitter.com/M5Ktx1t0gc
— Andscape (@andscape) February 9, 2019