The theme for tonight is uncovering some (un)famous female inventors who never got their due. We feature Mary Beatrice Davidson, an African-American woman who patented the sanitary belt. She came from a family of inventors, but had trouble securing her patents due to money. According to the Smithsonian, she eventually attracted interest for her invention thirty years lager but the company reneged when they found out she was black!
We applaud her for daring to try, and she did continue a fruitful life inventing attachments for walkers and wheelchairs which we created after her sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Thanks for being a first penguin, Mary Beatrice Davidson!
Learn More about Mary Beatrice Davison
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/five-women-inventors-you-didnt-learn-about-in-history-class-180979844/
- PBS Blog: https://thepbsblog.com/2018/03/23/black-history-fun-fact-friday-beatrice-davidson-kenner-inventor-of-the-sanitary-belt-a-precursor-of-the-modern-self-adhesive-maxi-pad/
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At first I was really stressed out writing this series, because especially with African-American inventors the history can be so demoralizing. As with female inventors, there were so many incidents of overt and institutional racism and unfairness, it might lead some people to think it’s not worth it to even try.
However many years later these inventors are receiving recognition and they do serve as important role models. As we live in the age of diversity and anti-DEI backlash it’s important to highlight these brave, smart folks so that we can see how toxic institutional racism is, and how we have to go out of our way to mitigate it.
Without making the ladder easier to climb, all of American society at all levels loses out!