Black History Month: Inventors You Need to Know

We celebrate four innovators and their contributions.

Dr. James Edward Maceo West - Our celebs can thank someone for making them sound so good on stage: Dr. James Edward Maceo West. Dr. West is an acoustician who, in 1962, co-invented the foil electric microphone. The principles he helped create are still used in the majority of microphones produced today and is used in tech objects all around us such as telephones, video cameras, and voice recorders. He's held over 250 foreign and U.S. patents for microphone designs and polymer foil electret techniques. (Photo: Greg Mathieson/Mai/Landov) 

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Dr. James Edward Maceo West - Our celebs can thank someone for making them sound so good on stage: Dr. James Edward Maceo West. Dr. West is an acoustician who, in 1962, co-invented the foil electric microphone. The principles he helped create are still used in the majority of microphones produced today and is used in tech objects all around us such as telephones, video cameras, and voice recorders. He's held over 250 foreign and U.S. patents for microphone designs and polymer foil electret techniques. (Photo: Greg Mathieson/Mai/Landov) 

George Crum - George Crum was a New York native who is credited for having created the potato chip even though there have been findings of similar recipes before Crum's time. The chef whipped up his creations in his restaurant, Crum's House, and supposedly created the chip after one customer said the french fries were too thick. Crum's solution: slice the potatoes thinner, fry the chips and top them with salt. The crunchy result was a success and the rest is delicious history. (Photo: Lay's via Instagram)

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George Crum - George Crum was a New York native who is credited for having created the potato chip even though there have been findings of similar recipes before Crum's time. The chef whipped up his creations in his restaurant, Crum's House, and supposedly created the chip after one customer said the french fries were too thick. Crum's solution: slice the potatoes thinner, fry the chips and top them with salt. The crunchy result was a success and the rest is delicious history. (Photo: Lay's via Instagram)

Kat Calvin - Kat Calvin is an entrepreneur at heart. She founded #BlackGirlsHack, an organization that hopes to inspire and mentor young African-American women who are interested in computer programming. But before starting #BlackGirlsHack, she founded Character’s Closet, a website that leads you to sites where you can by clothes from your favorite TV show. She also started Michelle in Training—named after our first lady—to help educate and mentor girls in the Washington, D.C., area. (Photo Courtesy #BlackGirlsHack)

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Kat Calvin - The tech industry could really use some diversifying and Kat Calvin is making it her mission to prepare young Black women with the coding skills necessary to play the field. As the founder of the first all-Black female hackathon Black Girls Hack, now called Blerdology, Calvin supports budding innovators and helps them get a leg up in the work field. (Photo: Black Girls Hack)

Janine Hausif - Janine Hausif wanted to make it easier to find Black-owned business and so she created Around the Way. The free mobile app allows you to locate and support the nearest African American run companies in your area. You can also browse by category, save a list of your favorite shops, share your finds through social media and received directions on how to get to a selected store. (Photo: Courtesy Around The Way)

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Janine Hausif - Janine Hausif wanted to make it easier to find Black-owned business and so she created Around the Way. The free mobile app allows you to locate and support the nearest African American run companies in your area. You can also browse by category, save a list of your favorite shops, share your finds through social media and received directions on how to get to a selected store. (Photo: Courtesy Around The Way)