8 Black Female Inventors You Might Not Know

Sarah Goode was an entrepreneur and inventor, who was the first African-American woman to receive a U.S. patent.  Goode invented a folding cabinet bed that allowed people who lived in small spaces to use their space efficiently. When the bed was folded, it became a fully functional desk, with spaces for storage. She received a patent for the design on July 14, 1885.

Sarah Boone was an African-American inventor who on April 26, 1892, secured U.S. patent rights for her improvements to the ironing board. Boone’s upgrades to the ironing board helped to improve the quality of ironing sleeves and the bodies of women’s garments. The board was narrow, curved, and made of wood. The shape, design and structure made it easy to fit a sleeve and it was reversible, to allow for ironing both sides of the sleeve.