Throughout history, Black scientists have consistently showcased their remarkable ingenuity through groundbreaking inventions, despite facing significant barriers and being denied access to the resources that could have propelled them even further....CONTINUE READING
Their stories are rooted in unwavering determination and a resolute refusal to accept the limitations imposed by the system. They defied societal norms and became pioneers in their respective fields, breaking down barriers and opening doors for generations to come.
In recognition of their exceptional tenacity and remarkable achievements, here are 10 influential Black scientists you should know.
1. George Washington Carver ( 1864 – 1943)
George Washington Carver, also known as the “Father of the Peanut Industry,” was an agricultural scientist and inventor. One of his professors, Etta Budd, encouraged him to apply to the Iowa State Agricultural School to study botany. Taking that step, Carver became the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in 1894.
Today, he is known to have invented more than 300 different ways of using peanuts; including flour, milk, soap, dyes, and many more. He also helped invent many agricultural methods to prevent soil depletion.
Carver received many awards such as the Fellow of the Royal Society in London, the Roosevelt Medal, the Humanitarian Award, and Honorary doctorate degrees.
2. Alice Ball (1892 – 1916)
Alice Augusta Ball was an American chemist popularly known for developing the “Ball Method.” She was the first woman, as well as the first African-American, to graduate with a master’s in science degree from the College of Hawaii.
During her life’s work, she invented the treatment for Hansen’s disease – leprosy. Alice developed an injectable chaulmoogra oil extract which became the most effective treatment for leprosy in her time.
Though the young chemist passed away at the age of 24, her memory was brought to life when the Governor of Hawaii declared 29 February “Alice Ball Day” in honor of the young scientist’s achievements many decades later. A plaque in her memory was put up at the chaulmoogra tree at the University of Hawaii. She was also awarded the Regents Medal of Distinction in 2007 by the University of Hawaii.
3. Charles Drew (1904 – 1950)
Known as the “Father of the Blood Bank,” Charles Richard Drew was a surgeon popular for his discovery of blood plasma. He was also the first director of the American Red Cross.
The death of his sister during the Great Influenza epidemic of 1918 inspired Drew to become a doctor.
Today, he is known for his life-saving invention for the preservation of blood. His work on the storage, processing, and shipment of blood plasma saved the lives of many Britons during the Second World War. He was also the first medical researcher to look into blood transfusions.
Drew received the Spingarn Medal in 1944 for his classic work in blood plasma and his research that brought about blood plasma banks.
4. Percy Lavon Julian (1899 – 1975)
Percy Lavon Julian was an American chemist and entrepreneur, who is known as the pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs.
After Julian received his doctorate, he experienced severe racism and was rejected for more than one professorship and private-sector position he applied to. When all hope was lost, he met his former mentor, William Blanchard, a professor of chemistry at DePauw who offered him a position to teach organic chemistry in 1932.
Julian invented a way to conduct a total synthesis of physostigmine. He was also the genius who created ways to produce human hormones such as progesterone and cortisone on an industrial scale. Due to his hard work, drugs like cortisone, steroids, and birth control pills are now easily accessible to the public.
For his great discoveries, Julian received many awards which include the Spingarn Medal, The Distinguished Service Award of the Phi Beta Kappa Association, the Chicagoan of the Year Award, and thirteen honorary degrees.
5. Alexa Canady ( 1950 – Present )
Alexa Irene Canady was the first African American woman to become a neurosurgeon in the US and is also a member of the Michigan Woman’s Hall of Fame.
Canady attended a summer medical program for minority students after her junior year of college and became inspired by science. She applied to medical school not too long after and graduated from Michigan College of Medicine in 1975 with honors.
She is well known for her research to make advances in neurosurgical techniques, and her invention of a programmable antisiphon shunt to treat hydrocephalus – an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain.
In 1993, Canady received the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Award, as well as the Distinguished Service Award in 1994. She also holds two honorary degrees.
6. Patricia Bath (1942 – 2019)
Patricia Era Bath was an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, as well as an advocate for blindness prevention, treatment, and cure. She is also known as the first Black female physician to receive a patent.
Bath was motivated into pledging her life to medicine when she heard about Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s service to lepers in the Congo.
Bath became popular for her Laserphaco – a device and technique designed to remove cataracts in 1981. The invention helped to restore the sight of thousands of patients around the world and was the only one available to perform the surgery.
She earned a Merit Award in 1960 from Mademoiselle Magazine and also received the Edwin Watson Prize for Excellence in Ophthalmology.
7. Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958 – present)
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist and author who made science famous with his books. He was the youngest director of the American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium at age 38 in 1995.
Tyson found his interest in astronomy at a very young age as he studied the moon through his binoculars from the roof of his apartment building.
His books and show, ‘Cosmos,’ brought inspiration to a lot of audiences, causing them to value science. Through his work with NASA, he declared that Pluto should not be considered the ninth planet of the Earth’s solar system, calling it “a dwarf planet.”
He received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal as well as many Emmys for his appearance on TV as a science communicator, and others for his books.
8. Philip Emeagwali (1954 – Present)
Philip Emeagwale is a Nigerian –born engineer and computer scientist often named among the ranks of the world’s greatest living geniuses. He is known as the “father of the internet – supercomputer.”
He once shared that the inspiration for his invention came from bees. He wanted to make computers emulate the construction and operation of a beehive’s honeycomb.
His key invention is the world’s fastest computer, which performs computations at 3.1 billion calculations per second. Through his invention called the connection machine, he was able to achieve the fastest computational record of all time.
Philip Emeagwale won the Gordon Bell Prize – the Nobel Prize of computer science – in 1989. He’s also won Scientist of the Year, Pioneer of the Year, the Distinguished Eagle Achievement Award, and the Nigerian Achiever of the Year, among others.
9. Raven Baxter
Rachel Baxter is a molecular biologist and science communicator, as well as a STEM educator, who goes by the nickname “Raven the Science Maven.”
Raven fell in love with science during her childhood. While studying in college, she realized that children needed more relatable role models to encourage them to pursue careers in the STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – field.
This inspired her to create a website and YouTube channel to publish science education content and her experience as a woman of color in STEM. She is also a leader in the field of science communication and outreach.
Baxter made Fortune Magazine’s 40 under 40 List in 2020, and Forbes 30 under 30 List in 2022. She was also recently recognized as a Mastermind in AfroTech’s first Future 50 list.
10. Brielle Ferguson
Brielle Ferguson is an Assistant Professor of Genetics and Neurology at Harvard Medical School. She is also the co-founder of BlackInNeuro.
During Ferguson’s graduate work, she became fascinated with the thalamus for its importance in supporting so many fundamental cognitive processes. She was also curious about how the activity in the thalamocortical circuits could become hijacked to result in other pathological conditions.
Through her studies, she has identified a particular cell in the brain that plays a key role and could lead to a better understanding of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, as well as new therapies. Ferguson made the Forbes 30 under 30 List in 2021 for her groundbreaking discovery..<<CONTINUE READING>>
