THE BLACK INVENTORS WHO BUILT AMERICA AND LOST OWNERSHIP They invented it. America patented it. Long before Silicon Valley, Black inventors were creating machines that powered railroads, factories, and the industrial economy. But ownership was never neutral. Before 1865, enslaved people were legally property so anything they created belonged to someone else. After slavery, the rules changed on paper… but not in practice. Patents required money. Lawyers. Banks. Protection. Most Black inventors we

Happy Black History Month! For 100 years, each February we’ve celebrated the Black folks who've shaped our nation and fought for our freedoms. As we reflect on how far we've come, we can't lose sight of the work that remains. The dreams of our ancestors depend on all of us carrying on their work and refusing to be deterred. That's what Black history is all about: the enduring hope, joy, resilience and resistance—truths that resonate as powerfully today as ever before. | Michelle Obama