Black Inventors Who Made the Stuff Around Us with Dr. Ainissa Ramirez
The movie “Hidden Figures” has shown there are many aspects of history that remain unknown. Dr. Ainissa Ramirez will share inventions that were created by Black inventors—from the light bulb to the mailbox to the ice cream scoop—during her presentation, “Black Inventors Who Made the Stuff Around Us,” at the New Haven Museum on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. Preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m. Register here. The NH250 event is free with regular museum admission.
From Jim West’s microphone to mathematician Gladys West’s pioneering work in creating GPS, Ramirez will feature the life and work of Black innovators who made things we use every day. She will also share the work and life of New Haven’s own Sarah Boone (1832-1904), who was awarded one of the first U.S. patents given to an African American woman for her improvements to the ironing board. Her invention made it possible to iron corsets and other tight-fitting clothing that were in fashion at the time. Boone worked as a dressmaker and lived at 30 Winter Street in New Haven and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
