To celebrate Black History Month, Carmichael Hall staff organized an event to highlight Black inventors, and their impact on lives today.
Sophomore Yelu Phil-Ebosie, a resident assistant at Carmichael Hall put together the event.
“This is actually a program that Carmichael has done in the past in collaboration with another hall, so Yelu chose this program for this month and I think it was perfect for our demographic,” Madison Evans, graduate student and resident coordinator, said.
To kickstart the event, housing staff gave out word searches, with residents competing to finish it first for a goodie bag prize.
The word search contained names of Black inventors along with some key inventions the program would discuss.
“I chose this program because February is Black History Month, and I thought this would be a good time to teach people about the things Black people invented as well as to encourage them to be creative and to think outside of the box,” Ebosie said.
After the word search, students and staff took turns reading about Black inventors and their creations.
One inventor that stuck out was Madame C.J. Walker, who invented the hot comb.
“It’s just intriguing to learn how she helped solve an issue for her demographic,” junior Ghaida Fadah said.
Fadah wasn’t the only student who thought C.J. Walker was noteworthy.
“Madame C.J. Walker was my favorite inventor from tonight,” Evans said. “As an African American who has natural hair, the hot comb works wonders on my head when I need it straight.”
Other inventors mentioned included George Washington Carver, George Speck, Marie Van Brittan Brown, Nathaniel Alexander and Robert Flemming Jr.
George Washington Carver was an agricultural-focused scientist who created a plethora of products using peanuts, soy beans, and sweet potatoes; he did not make peanut butter though, as it is often claimed.
Marie Van Brittan Brown and her husband developed and patented one of the first home security video systems.
Nathaniel Alexander patented the folding chair, which gained fame in the infamous Alabama Brawl in 2023.
“My favorite fact of tonight would be that George Speck, an American chef, was known for popularizing the potato chip in upstate New York,” junior PJ Parker, Carmichael RA, said.
The staff provided peanut butter crackers and potato chips to those in attendance, because of their connection to the Black inventors mentioned, with the chips being an homage to Speck, and the crackers honoring the work that Carver did with peanut plants.
The goal of the event was to help students recognize those who invented the items used every day, and to inspire students to make a difference.
“I just hope they [students] feel inspired to do something different to help people out and not let their culture or where they’re from get in the way of what they want to do,” Ebosie said.
To find more events hosted by Carmichael Hall visit its Instagram @carmichaelhall.
