Lewis H. Latimer: The Lightbulb

African-American Contributions to Science

The often overlooked Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928) worked with two of the most recognized inventors in history. He worked aside Alexander Graham Bell to draft the necessary drawings required to receive a patent for the telephone. In 1884, Latimer was hired by Thomas Edison as a draftsman and an expert witness in patent litigation on electric lights. The National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee also co-patented an improved toilet system for railroad. (AP Photo/Steve Miller)

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African-American... Over the last 200-300 years, many African-Americans worked tirelessly to come up with new and unique ideas, sometimes while still bound in slavery. (Photos: AP, Getty Images)

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W.E.B Du Bois: N... W.E.B Du Bois (1868-1963), the first African-American to earn a doctorate, was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The prolific author battled racism on all fronts, including writing the first scientific treatise in the field of sociology. The Civil Rights Movement was enacted one year after his death. (Photo: C. M. Battey, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Granville T. Woo... Granville T. Woods (1856-1910), best known as the black Thomas Edison, filed more than 150 patents during his lifetime. His most notable contributions include the “telographony,” a combination of the telegraph and the telephone—a precursor to modern day text messages.

In 1887 he produced the “Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph,” which enabled messages to be sent from moving trains and railways stations. In addition to these contributions, Woods was also very green. He invented a light dimmer in 1890 that resulted in 40 percent energy savings. (Photo: Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Dr. Ben Carson: ... Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, 60, is the first doctor in the world to successfully separate conjoined twins conjoined at the back of the head. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2008. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

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Frederick McKinl... In 1935, Frederick McKinley Jones (1893-1961) designed a portable air-cooling unit for trucks carrying perishable food, making it possible to ship perishables long distances at any time of the year. The unit was used on trains, ships, and aircrafts.

Jones, in addition to being the first African-American inducted into the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers, was awarded the National Medal of Technology for his efforts and is an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. (Photo: Miller, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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George Washingto... George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was born into slavery in Missouri. He studied alternative crops to cotton, such as peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes. Throughout his life, Carver developed over 100 products made from peanuts, including peanut butter. (AP Photo/John S. Stewart)

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Lewis H. Latimer... The often overlooked Lewis Howard Latimer (1848-1928) worked with two of the most recognized inventors in history. He worked aside Alexander Graham Bell to draft the necessary drawings required to receive a patent for the telephone. In 1884, Latimer was hired by Thomas Edison as a draftsman and an expert witness in patent litigation on electric lights. The National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee also co-patented an improved toilet system for railroad. (AP Photo/Steve Miller)

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Garrett Morgan: ... African-American inventor Garrett Morgan (1877-1963), who is known as the first black citizen to own an automobile in Cleveland, created a respiratory protective hood, a prototype for the modern-day gas mask. He also invented a specific type of traffic signal, as well as a new hair-straightening technique. (Photo: Topical Press Agency, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Otis Boykin: Imp... Otis Boykin (1920-1982), an African-American inventor and engineer, created more than 25 electronic devices during his life. These included an improved electrical resistor for computers and a control unit for the artificial heart pacemaker. (Photo: Keystone, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Dr. Charles Drew... Physician Charles Drew (1904-1950) developed improved techniques for blood storage, aiding in the eventual creation of the American Red Cross. (Photo: George W. Hales, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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Benjamin Banneke... Inventor Benjamin Banneker (1701-1806), the son of a former slave, worked as an astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer. Banneker is often credited with bringing the first working clock to America, though the claim is disputed. He was later appointed by Thomas Jefferson to be a part of a surveying team to lay out Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

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George Crum: Pot... In 1853, George Crum accidentally invented one of the world’s greatest snack foods, the potato chip, after a patron of the restaurant he worked at sent back a soggy plate of fries. Crum wanted to teach the customer a lesson, so he sliced the potatoes very thin, fried them, and loaded the plate with salt. The dish was a surprise hit. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Kenneth J. Dunkl... Kenneth J. Dunkley, the current president of the Holospace Laboratories, is credited with inventing the very first pair of 3-D Viewing glasses. (Photo: Fox Photos, Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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