African American Inventors & Pioneers Poster
What would our world look like without the creativity, ingenuity, and contributions of Black innovators?
The What If There Were No Black Folks? African American Inventors & Pioneers Poster gives learners a visual starting point for exploring that question.
Featuring 20 African American inventors and pioneers, the poster pairs illustrated portraits with inventions, innovations, or important contributions associated with each individual. Learners can explore people such as Sarah Boone, Jan E. Matzeliger, Lyda D. Newman, Madam C. J. Walker, George T. Sampson, John Lee Love, Philip B. Downing, Garrett A. Morgan, Frederick M. Jones, Dr. Charles Drew, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, Sarah E. Goode, and others.
Rather than treating Black history as something to study only during one month of the year, this poster can serve as a year-round conversation starter about innovation, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, science, engineering, medicine, and the impact individuals can have on everyday life.
Use it to encourage learners to ask:
Who created it?
What problem were they trying to solve?
How did their idea improve people’s lives?
How is that problem being solved today?
What could we invent next?
The poster works especially well as a companion to the What If There Were No Black Folks? learning experience and can also be used independently as a visual reference.
Great for: classrooms, homeschool environments, libraries, makerspaces, STEM/STEAM programs, Black history programs, after-school programs, community organizations, youth entrepreneurship programs, and educational displays.
More than a history poster—it’s an invitation to discover the people, problems, and ideas behind innovation.
