February is a time to reflect on and celebrate Black excellence in our country. We believe 28 days simply isn’t enough time to recognize all of the achievements African Americans have gifted our society. However, we will do our part in highlighting some of the most profound Black tech innovators and how they improved our lives.  

Marian R. Croak

Making a call over the internet? You can thank Marian R. Croak for that feature. Marian has been a leader in telecom throughout her career and saw the future in the internet. She lead the invention of Voice Over Internet Protocols (VoIP), creating a new way to make calls. 

Learn more about Marian here: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/croak-marian-r-1955/

Mark Dean

Do you remember the days of green font and a black screen on your PC? Mark Dean put an end to that and gave the world its first colored PC monitor. Mark is a Computer Scientist with many accolades and achievements under his belt.  

Learn more about Mark here: https://www.biography.com/inventor/mark-dean 

Dr. Shirley Jackson

There are many impressive achievements about Dr. Jackson. The first one that stands out to us is that she was the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. from MIT. How impressive! Dr. Jackson has achieved much throughout her illustrious career. She has worked hard to ensure she has helped more African Americans find their place amongst the masses through it all.  

Learn more about Dr. Jackson here: https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/shirley-ann-jackson/ 

Marie Van Brittan Brown

Many would-be burglars have been thwarted thanks to Marie Van Brittan Brown. Marie is credited for inventing the first security system. Being a natural problem solver, Marie created her own security system after moving to an unsafe neighborhood then sold her idea. Her patent is still used today in a multitude of ways! 

Learn more about Marie here: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-marie-van-brittan-1922-1999/ 

Lisa Gelobter

We all love using a GIF to express ourselves through text in today’s society. For that, we have Lisa Gelobter to thank. Lisa developed the animation to make GIF’s come to life. As a computer scientist, Lisa has been credited for creating the streaming service Hulu amongst an array of noteworthy achievements.  

Learn more about Lisa here: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/lisa-gelobter-1971/

DIVERSANT and Diversity

These inventors are a mere glimpse into Black innovators’ contributions to our society. It is essential to recognize that diversity in all things makes us an elite, empathic, and forward-thinking community. DIVERSANT, an ACS Company, is the fastest growing IT Staffing firm in the nation. Connect with us today to create a diverse and successful business.