As we begin our annual celebration of Black History Month in the United States, I – a Black woman working in corporate America – am both proud and disappointed. I am proud of the many accomplishments of Black people, yet disappointed that 400 years after the first enslaved Africans were brought to this country, it is still possible to become the first Black anything.
We, as a country, can and must do better. We, as individuals, can and must do better. And we, as corporate America, can and must do better. It’s past time we held ourselves accountable.
We must do more than acknowledge Black people for simply being Black. We must acknowledge, respect and honor Black people for their many invaluable contributions to innovation and transformation throughout history.
I dare you to imagine what our lives would be like without them. Consider this: These Black innovators have improved our quality of life and propelled industry forward, affecting countless facets of our lives. They include:
Lewis Latimer invented a carbon filament to use in light bulbs in 1882
Alexander Miles patented a mechanism to automate elevator doors in 1887
Andrew Jackson Beard invented the Jenny Coupler, which greatly improved train car connections, patented in 1897
George T. Sampson invented the clothes dryer in 1892
Alice H. Parker patented the central gas heating furnace in 1919
Garrett Morgan invented the three-light traffic light in 1923
Richard Spikes invented the automatic gear shift in 1932
Frederick McKinley Jones patented a cooling system to be used in trucks, allowing goods to be preserved, in 1940
Mary Van Brittan Brown was co-inventor of a home security system in 1966
Dr. Patricia E. Bath invented a new medical device and method to remove cataracts, patented in 1988
Mark Dean was co-inventor of the color IBM PC monitor and gigahertz chip, in 1980 and 1999, respectively
These are just a few examples of the intellectual, creative and scholarly contributions of Black people — contributions that have benefited the world for generations.
It is baffling to me that in 2021 so few technical and leadership roles are held by Black people.
Advancement requires opportunity. Opportunity is the key to unlocking and promoting the talent that has and will continue to transform our world. What potential life-changing or industry advancing innovations have we missed out on due to lack of opportunity?
Leaders, let this be a call to action for you. Ensure that you are providing opportunities for talent to shine regardless of that talent’s origins. Promote inclusion at your places of work, inviting new perspectives. Insist on diversity and challenge those who don’t agree with the merits of its importance.
The 4th Industrial Revolution is here, and it behooves us to tap into all the talent available to lead us through this transformative time in history.
Let us be the generation that celebrates the intellect and creativity of Black scholars and change-makers and allows their talent to permeate all corners and levels of industry. Let us create a new history that future generations will study, one in which being the “first” Black anything is but a distant memory.
India Sylvester is the chief diversity and inclusion officer at Lumen Technologies. She lives in the Bloomfield area.
