What lessons should we learn from the lives of Black inventors?
A Critical Inquiry into Black Inventors by Alexander Pittman & Dan Krutka
This page includes the blueprint for an Inquiry Design Model (IDM) social studies unit designed for students from elementary through high school and anyone who would like to inquiry into Black invention. The IDM includes sources for different ages and is well suited for the integration of science activities. Teachers can learn more by reading the article linked below.
Compelling Question: What lessons should we learn from the lives of Black inventors?
-
Inquiry Purpose
In his opinion piece, Ezelle Sanford III argues that although the way history remembers Black inventors has changed over time, it still often falls short by focusing too narrowly on inventions instead of full human lives. Early efforts, such as Carter G. Woodson’s creation of Negro History Week, emphasized patents and technological achievements to fight racist claims of Black inferiority during Jim Crow. Later, during the civil rights era, fuller biographies of figures like George Washington Carver were used to inspire pride and resilience. Today, however, Sanford argues that internet lists and simplified stories again reduce Black inventors to names and products, stripping away context, struggle, and identity. He points to newer works such as Hidden Figures and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as better models because they show inventors as complex people shaped by race, gender, sexuality, and history. Sanford concludes that truly honoring Black inventors requires understanding their lives, not just counting their inventions. This inquiry curriculum aims to tell about the full lives of Black inventors, not just their inventions.
-
Example Standards
To be added.
-
Technoskeptical Practice
Technology is too often only understood for its intended purpose and benefits (Krutka et al., 2022). Cultivating a technoskeptical outlook encourages students to suspend their judgment and critically inquire into not just benefits, but also unintended, collateral, and disproportionate effects of technological change. This inquiry is particularly aligned with the following technoskeptical questions: What does society give up for the benefits of the technology? Why is it difficult to imagine our world without the technology?
Glossary
Patent (PAT-uhnt)
A legal document giving someone the sole rights to make or sell a product
Source: “Lewis Latimer: The Man Behind a Better Light Bulb” by Nancy Dickman
Enslaved People (In-SLAYV-d)
An enslaved person is someone whose is forced to work for and obey an enslaver and is considered to be their property. These words are preferred because they show that enslavement is imposed on people, not who they are; And enslavers actively uphold violent oppression of other human beings.
Segregation (Seg-ri-GAE-Shun)
Segregation is the practice of requiring separate housing, education and other services for people of color. Segregation was made law in many places in the 19th- and 20th-century U.S. as white people often believed racist ideas and sought to maintain their economic power.
Source: History.com
Black Joy
Black Joy is finding the positive nourishment within self and others that is a safe and healing place. It is a way of resting the body, mind, and spirit in response to the traumatic, devastating and life-altering racialized experiences that Black people continue to encounter.
Source: National Museum of African American History & Culture
Staging the Question
George Washington Murray (1853-1926)
Henry E. Baker (1857-1928)
Teachers can open the lesson by asking students, what inventors do you know of? After discussion the teacher could ask, what inventions do you know of that were invented by Black people? After a short discussion, the teacher then shares the stories of Henry E. Baker and George Washington Murray with students. They can do so by either assigning them to read “Found on Baker’s List” or read this shorter version:
In 1894, a man named George Washington Murray stood in the U.S. Congress and read aloud a list of inventions made by African Americans. At the time, he was the only Black member in either body of the U.S. Congress. The list showed inventions like farm tools, machines, and everyday objects. It was created by Henry E. Baker, who worked at the U.S. Patent Office. Baker wanted to prove that Black inventors were creative, skilled, and important to the country, even though many people wrongly said they were not because of their race.
George Washington Murray was once enslaved, but he became a farmer, teacher, inventor, and politician. He created farm tools to help small farmers work more easily. Henry Baker faced racism too, but he spent many years finding and recording the names of Black inventors when no official records existed. Together, their work helped protect these inventors from being forgotten. Their story shows how knowledge, persistence, and courage can challenge unfair ideas and help build a more just society.
Supporting Question
Why do African inventions of the past still matter?
African inventors of the past and present
Short Bio: To be added.
Supporting Question
Why does Lewis Latimer’s story still matter?
Lewis H. Latimer (1848-1928)
Short Bio: Lewis Howard Latimer (1848–1928) was an inventor and draftsman who is most known for helping to bring electric light to more people. He was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts. His parents escaped slavery and their enslaver sought to recapture his father, George. A movement that included abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass helped to secure his freedom even though he feared that he could be forced back into slavery. As a teenager, Latimer joined the U.S. Navy during the Civil War. After the war, he worked at a patent law office for little pay. He learned drafting skills, which means making careful technical drawings. Despite the racism of the time that often limited job opportunities, Latimer’s skill eventually earned him a job as a draftsman. He kept going and used his skills to open doors that many people tried to keep closed.
Latimer became famous for invention and problem-solving. He helped draw the patent plans for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. He also improved parts of electric lighting by creating a better way to make carbon filaments, which helped light bulbs last longer and break less during manufacturing. Many people were working on electric lights at the time, including Thomas Edison and other companies that competed to make lighting safer and more reliable. Latimer worked for Edison’s electric company and later became the first person of color in the Edison Pioneers. Even though he did important work, he did not always receive the same recognition or opportunities as white inventors. Still, he earned respect as an expert and wrote a major book about electric lighting. He also cared about fairness and community. He taught immigrants, supported civil rights, and used his education to help others. Latimer’s life shows how creativity and persistence can challenge bias and help improve society.
Compelling Question: What lessons should we learn from the lives of Black inventors?
-
Summative Performance Task Argument
Students should draw on sources to make informed arguments in a whole class discussion that answers the compelling question, what lessons should we learn from the lives of Black inventors?
-
Summative Performance Task Extension
Students can create a poster or other creative project for a class Black Inventor’s Museum that uses evidence to answer the compelling question, what lessons should we learn from the lives of Black inventors?
-
Taking Informed Action
Students can identify ways that Black inventors are still making change in the present (see Timnit Gebru, etc.) and identify what supports they need to thrive.
Students could investigate whether students from all races are equally represented in advanced STEM classes in their district, and whether the curriculum is culturally responsive and pursues a more just world. They can advocate for change as is necessary.
