Article
University of Houston

University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 522: Jan Matzeliger

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief biography of Jan Matzeliger, an African-American inventor who revolutionized the shoe manufacturing industry. Read about his early troubles and how he graciously lived his life. This is a transcript of an accompanying radio...
Article
University of Houston

University of Houston: Engines of Our Ingenuity: No. 158: Lewis Latimer

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief biography of African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer. Read about his association with both Hiram Maxim and Thomas Edison in developing the incandescent light bulb. This is a transcript of an accompanying radio broadcast.
Article
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Inventor of the Week: Elijah Mc Coy

For Students 9th - 10th
According to this article, Elijah McCoy (1844-1929 CE) is one of the most prolific inventors in American history. Read about his parents who escaped slavery by traveling on the Underground Railroad and about his invention, the automatic...
Article
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Inventor of the Week: Granville T. Woods

For Students 9th - 10th
Inventor Granville T. Woods is featured in this brief biography for his multiplex telegraph which was a useful invention for the railroad industry.
Article
PBS

Pbs: Africans in America: Benjamin Banneker

For Students 9th - 10th
This website describes the life of Benjamin Banneker, a free and educated black man from Baltimore, Maryland. It describes his many accomplishments.
Article
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Inventor of the Week: Madame c.j. Walker

For Students 3rd - 8th
At this site from the MIT Program you can read how Sarah Breedlove McWilliams Walker, or Madame C.J. Walker, and Marjorie Joyner "founded beauty schools for blacks" and changed the lives of African-Americans.
Article
A&E Television

History.com: 6 Little Known Pioneers of Aviation

For Students 9th - 10th
From an early glider experimenter to the first man to fly solo around the world, here are six lesser-known pilots and inventors who made their mark on aviation.
Article
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Invention of the Week: Bessie Blount: Self Feeding Device for Amputees

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about Bessie Blount's contribution to medicine--her work as a physical therapist and her invention of a feeding device for amputees.