Celebrating Black Excellence in Technology

Is a powerful time to recognize innovators whose work has shaped the technology we rely on every day. Below is a curated celebration of Black technologists and engineers whose contributions span computing, space exploration, telecommunications, and navigation.

Celebrating Black Excellence in Technology

Katherine Johnson — Aerospace Mathematics

Katherine Johnson was a NASA mathematician whose precise calculations were critical to the success of early U.S. space missions, including Project Mercury and Apollo 11. Her work on orbital mechanics ensured safe launches, reentries, and lunar landings, and laid foundations for modern spaceflight navigation. [britannica.com], [nasa.gov]

Mark E. Dean — Personal Computing

Mark Dean is a computer engineer and co‑inventor of the IBM Personal Computer. He holds three of the nine original IBM PC patents and helped create the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, enabling peripherals like printers and disk drives to connect to computers—fundamental to modern PCs. [en.wikipedia.org], [ibm.com]

Dr. Gladys West — GPS and Satellite Geodesy

Dr. Gladys West was a mathematician whose work modeling the true shape of the Earth (the geoid) made modern GPS possible. Her satellite data algorithms allow precise global positioning used daily in smartphones, aviation, shipping, and emergency response. [en.wikipedia.org], [britannica.com]

Mae C. Jemison — Engineering, Medicine, Space Technology

An engineer and physician, Mae Jemison became the first African‑American woman in space in 1992 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Beyond NASA, she founded technology and research initiatives advancing science education and long‑term space exploration, including the 100 Year Starship project. [en.wikipedia.org], [britannica.com]

Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson — Telecommunications Research

A theoretical physicist, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson conducted foundational research at Bell Labs that led to technologies such as caller ID and touch‑tone dialing. She later became president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, influencing technology education and policy. [icstars.org], [infotechys.com]

Jerry Lawson — Video Game Hardware

Jerry Lawson engineered the first home video game console to use interchangeable game cartridges, revolutionizing the gaming industry and enabling the modern console business model still used today. [learnacademy.org], [biography.com]

Why This Celebration Matters

These innovators didn’t just break barriers, they built systems, technologies, and frameworks that continue to drive global progress. Honoring their legacies during Black History Month highlights how diversity fuels innovation and reminds us that technological advancement is strong when talent from all backgrounds is recognized.

Celebrating Black Innovators in Technology

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