Series Bright Minds

Born enslaved during the Civil War in Diamond, Missouri, George Washington Carver was an agricultural scientist and inventor. He promoted alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion. Among his many accomplishments, he developed more than 300 industrial an...

Born Sarah Breedlove near Delta, Louisiana, in 1867, Madam C. J. Walker was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. She is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America. Among her many accomplishments, she invented a Black hair care ...

Born in Washington, D.C., in 1904, Charles R. Drew was a Black surgeon and medical researcher. Known as the “Father of The Blood Bank,” he researched in the field of blood transfusions, and developed improved techniques for blood storage. Among his many accomplishments, he...

Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in 1848, Lewis Latimer was an inventor, a leader, a teacher, and a creator. He knew how to draw, knew the law, wrote books and poetry, and spoke several languages. Among his many accomplishments, he contributed to the design of the light bulb, a...