Lewis Howard Latimer

Lewis Howard Latimer (September 4, 1848 – December 11, 1928) was a writer, poet, inventor and mechanical draftsman whose work contributed to the most popular inventions of his time. Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts to slaves that escaped from Virginia, he excelled in primary school while working under his father. His father was captured and defended by […]
Dr. Roger Arliner Young

Dr. Roger Arliner Young (August 20, 1899 – November 9, 1964) was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in Zoology. Born in Clifton Forge, Virginia, she came from a poor family and still overcame racial and gender norms to excel. She was the only child to a father that was a coal […]
Dr. Harold Amos

Dr. Harold Amos (September 7, 1918 – February 26, 2003) was a microbiologist and molecular biologist who would become the first African-American chair of a department at the Harvard Medical School. His interest in science as a youth was, in part, inspired by Louis Pasteur. He obtained a full ride scholarship and completed his BS […]
Elijah McCoy

Elijah McCoy (May 2, 1844 – October 10, 1929) was an inventor of Canadian but of African American descent. His creation of the lubricating cup changed the efficiency of steam engines in the 19th century. Born in 1844 in Colchester, Ontario, he was one of 11 siblings of runaway slave parents who fled from Kentucky […]