Technology

"Black minds and talent have skills to control a spacecraft or scalpel with the same finesse and dexterity with which they can control a basketball." ~ Ronald E. McNair, 1983

African-American Technical Achievers

African-American Astronauts
An African-American Bibliography: Science, Medicine and Allied Fields
African Americans in Action - Science, Technology, and Invention
African Americans in Science and Technology: Selected Internet Resources
Science Reference Services, Library of Congress
African American Independent Inventor Industry Who's Who
African American Invention Express
A metaphorical ride through the less traveled, but exciting route of inventions created by African Americans!
African American Inventors (Encyclopedia Smithsonian)
African-American Inventors Database
African-American Inventors in Computer Science
African-American Inventors of Our Times
African American Scientists: Past and Present (BBIST)
A tribute to the achievements of Blacks in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
The African Contribution to Technology and Science
A lecture delivered by Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan for the Minority Ethnic Unit of the Greater London Council, London, England, March 6–8, 1986.
African Origins of Science & Math
African Studies Center - University of Pennsylvania
Africa's Science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Brief extracts from scholarly works on the subject.
Dr. Aprille Joy Ericsson
Aerospace Engineer
Dr. Aprille Joy Ericsson
Aerospace Engineer
Benjamin S. Carson, M.D.
Pediatric Neurosurgeon
Black History at the Science Museum (London, UK)
Black History Inventors
Blacks in Technology: Past and Present
Black Inventors
Black Inventors
Black Inventors and Inventions
Black Inventors and Inventions
Black Inventors, History of
African American patent holders and individual biographies of African American inventors from About.com.
The Black Inventor Online Museum
A look at the great and often unrecognized pioneers in the field of invention and innovation.
Black Patents
Black Science
Historic Contributions of Scientists and Engineers of African Descent
Black Scientists & Inventors
BreakThrough Online
Resources for Encouraging Students to Pursue Careers in Science, from Blackside, Inc., producers of the award winning television series BreakThrough: The Changing Face of Science in America.
Encyclopedia Smithsonian: African American Inventors
A selected annotated bibliography on African American Inventors.
Exploring African-American Ingenuity in Science & Technology: Part of An African Heritage
A compilation of African-American acheivement in the world of science and innovation.
The Faces of Science: African Americans in the Sciences
Profiles of African American men and women who have contributed to the advancement of science and engineering.
The Frank Mann Story
Mechanical genius, Black aeronautical and aerospace engineer, sports car designer, primary civilian instructor of the famous Tuskegee Airmen and World War II officer in the Army Air Corps. Frank Calvin Mann (1908-1992) was also a friend and behind the scenes troubleshooter and engineer for the world famous Howard Robard Hughes.
Dr. George R. Carruthers
A Pioneer in Ultraviolet Astronomy
Great African-American Inventors and Engineers
A tribute to some of the great African Americans who have made technological contributions to our society.
The Institute of Black Invention and Technology
A traveling museum with over 100 inventions authenticated by actual inventions, replicas, representative models, patent drawings, photographs, newspaper articles and biographies.
The International African Inventions Museum (IAIM)
The largest mobile African inventors museum in the world featuring African inventors from the USA, Canada, England, Caribbean and Africa.
Dr. Mark Dean
Dr. Dean holds many patents that has help shape personal computer technology as we know it today.
Mathematicians of the African Diaspora
A web site created to exhibit accomplishments of the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora within the Mathematical Sciences. The site is created and maintained by Dr. Scott W. Williams, Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematics Department of the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Medical Breakthroughs
African-Americans' achievements in the field of medicine.
Museum of African American Technology (MAAT) Science Village
Exhibitions using the principles of Ma'at to generate a genuine interest in science and engineering among the young and the adult public.
Museum of Black Innovations & Inventions (MBII)
An inspirational tribute to Black scientists and inventors whose capabilities shone through the roadblocks of adversity, which racial barriers have long created.
The Museum of Black Inventors
Muslim Scientists, Mathematicians and Astronomers
Dedicated to Muslim contributions to our basic understanding of sciences, mathematics, medicine, technology, sociology, and philosophy.
National University of Science and Technology (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe)
Dr. Percy Lavon Julian
Physicists of the African Diaspora
The Real McCoy, African-American Invention and Innovation, 1619-1930
Dr. Samuel P. Massie
Among his many achievements as an educator, scientist and technologist, Samuel P. Massie served as the first African-American professor at the U.S. Naval Academy.
ScienceMakers (The HistoryMakers)
Historical profiles of African-American Technologists.
Science Update: Spotlight on African American Scientists (AAAS)
Voices of black scientists living and working in North America today.
TopBlacks in Science
Positive profiles of People of Color
TopBlacks in Technology
Positive profiles of People of Color
Dr. Warren Henry, Pioneering Physicist
Inspired by childhood interactions with George Washington Carver, Dr. Warren Henry has contributed to the advancement of physics and engineering for more than seventy years.
Who Named Rover?
The six-wheeled robotic explorer used in the Mars Pathfinder mission is named after Sojourner Truth, the famous African-American reformist who lived during the Civil War era. The Mars Pathfinder rover, Sojourner, was named by 12-year-old Valerie Ambroise, who won a worldwide essay competition. Read Valerie's essay.

African-American Technical Organizations

American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE)
African American Architects
Directory of over 1,300 African American architects.
African American Environmentalist Association (AAEA)
A national, nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to protecting the environment, enhancing human, animal and plant ecologies, promoting the efficient use of natural resources and increasing African American participation in the environmental movement.
African-American Women in Technology
The Benjamin Banneker Association, Inc.
The Benjamin Banneker Association is a national non-profit organization dedicated to mathematics education advocacy, establishing a presence for leadership, and professional development to support teachers in leveling the playing field for mathematics learning of the highest quality for African-American students.
The Benjamin Banneker Institute for Science & Technology (BBIST)
The Banneker Institute was founded, with support from Congress, to combine many of the existing initiatives addressing low performance and participation rates of African Americans in science and math related studies and professions.
Black Alumni/ae of MIT (BAMIT)
Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA)
BDPA "Information Technology Thought Leaders"
  • BDPA Education Technology Foundation (BETF)
    Founded to provide financial support of the education & technology programs of National Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) and its local chapters. The foundation funds BDPA's Student Information Technology & Scholarship (SITES) program as well as the BDPA IT Institute.
Black Engineering & Science Students Association (BESSA) UC Berkeley
Black Graduate Engineering and Science Students (BGESS) UC Berkeley
Coalition Of Black Envoys (COBE)
Environmental issues and concerns affecting African Americans
Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS)
An organization that highlights current research by African-American researchers and graduate students in mathematics.
Development Fund For Black Students in Science and Technology (DFBSST)
The Digital Sistas Network
A Professional Organization for African American Women in Technology and New Media.
International Society of African Scientists (ISAS)
Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers (LACBPE)
NAACP ACT-SO Program
ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) is a year long enrichment program designed to recruit, stimulate, improve and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students.
National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists (NABGG)
National Association of Black Telecommunications Professionals, Inc. (NABTP)
National Association of Mathematicians (NAM)
National Council of Black Engineers and Scientists (NCBES)
The National Medical Association
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemist & Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
Local Chapters:
National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP)
National Technical Association (NTA)
Founded in 1926, NTA is the oldest African American technical professional organization in the United States.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Black Scientists Association
Northern California Council of Black Professional Engineers (NCCBPE)

Other Minority Technical Organizations

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (A.I.S.E.S.)
The National Association of Mathematicians, Inc. (NAM)
Promotion of excellence in the mathematical sciences and the promotion of the mathematical development of underrepresented American minorities"
National Coalition of Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Advocacy Groups in Engineering and Science (NCOURAGES)
National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP)
The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering
Women in Technology International (WITI)

Minority Science and Engineering Programs

Advancing Minorities’ Interests in Engineering (AMIE)
AMIE seeks to expand corporate/academic alliances and implement and support programs to attract, educate, graduate, and place underrepresented minority students in engineering careers.
Cooperating Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (CHROME)
Digital Learning Lab (DLL)
A component of Howard University's Continuing Education (HUCE) program, the DLL explores cutting-edge, computer-based technologies which can be used to enhance the effectiveness of the learning process. The Lab takes special interest in technologies having high potential value for closing the Digital Divide.
Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational Science Literacy Foundation
The D.R.E.M.E. Science Literacy Foundation promotes educational programs designed to improve and strengthen teaching and learning in science, mathematics and technology at all levels, elementary through high school and college.
HBCU Engineering Schools
Just Garcia Hill
Virtual Community for Minorities in Science committed to increasing the number of minorities entering science careers and to celebrating contributions to science by minority scientists.
Math and Science for Minority Students (MS)2
(MS)2 is a competitive math and science program for minority students who have shown strong interest in and aptitude for mathematics and science.
Minority Introduction To Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Science (MITE2S)
Minority-University SPace Interdisciplinary Network (MU-SPIN)
A program designed to train the next generation of NASA’s minority scientists and engineers.
National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME)
The NACME Online Guide to Engineering
An online introduction to engineering and its sub disciplines, links to engineering societies, a college search engine and tips on applying to college. The site also includes profiles of high achieving minority engineers.
National Association of Minority Engineering Program Administrators, Inc. (NAMEPA)
National GEM Consortium (GEM)
Patriots Technology Training Center (PTTC)
PTTC a nonprofit foundation committed to generating interest, enhancing skills, promoting technology-related careers and preparing youth for successful futures.
SACNAS Biography Project
The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences Biography project provides Hispanic, Chicano, Latino and Native American students with positive role models in the sciences. It also serves as a starting point for educational information about the fields of the scientists.
Summer Academic Enrichment Programs
A list of Summer Academic Enrichment programs compiled by the MITES Program at MIT.
Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP)
A program for students who have demonstrated an interest in and aptitude for mathematics, science, engineering and technology (MSET). One of SHARP's objectives is to encourage the career paths of pre-college students who have been traditionally underrepresented in MSET fields.
Visions of Science Network for Learning Inc (VoSNL)
Visions of Science Network for Learning Inc (VoSNL) is a not-for-profit organization that advances the educational achievements and career aspirations of African Canadian and other under-represented youth in the fields of science, mathematics and technology.

African-American Technical Publications

African Technology Forum
The Premier Source of Information on Science and Technology in Africa
BDPA Journal Online
The premier online publication for African American information technology professionals.
Black Tech Magazine
The comprehensive Information Technology [IT] advisory resource for African American business owners and entrepreneurs.
CCG Online
Career Communications Group, Inc., home of the US Black Engineer and the Hispanic Engineer and Information Technology Magazines.
The Conduit
A Newsletter that presents the world of technology from an Afrocentric perspective.
Diversity Careers in Engineering & Information Technology

Other Information

ACS Minority Affairs Resources
A directory of minority programs and/or activities, including scholarships, fellowships, grants, summer programs, workshops, career information and research opportunities from the American Chemical Society.
Black Futurists In The Information Age
A Book and a Web Portal for the 21st Century. The Black Futurist, a powerful new vision for economic, technological and scientific development in the Black World.
Building the 21st Century Information Technology Work Force: Underrepresented Groups in the Information Technology Workforce
A report published by the Workforce and Education Task Force of the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) industry trade association.
The Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology Development (CAWMSET)
The mandate of the Commission is to research and recommend ways to improve the recruitment, retention, and representation of women, underrepresented minorities (namely, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians), and persons with disabilities in science, engineering, and technology (SET) education and employment. The Commission's report, Land of Plenty: Diversity as America’s Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering and Technology, is now available for download.
Losing Ground Bit by Bit
Low-Income Communities in the Information Age
StandardsAfrica
The portal where Africans can learn about and access technical standards and participate in developing them. The site emphasizes the areas of information technology, telecommunications, and power and energy.
Technology and the Dream Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941-1999
A wealth of insights on the experience of African American students at a leading university.

Tech Events

Black Creativity 2007
  • Theme: Designs for Life
  • January 12 — February 28, 2007
  • Chicago Museum of Science and Industry
  • Chicago, IL
Black Family Technology Awareness Week
  • February 11 - 17, 2007
  • Baltimore, MD
Annual Conference of the National Society of Black Physicists
  • Joint meeting with the National Society of Hispanic Physicists
  • February 21 - 25, 2007
  • Boston Sheraton Hotel and
    John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center
  • Boston, MA
Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference
  • February 14 - 16, 2008
  • Baltimore, MD
National Society of Black Engineers 33rd Annual Convention
  • Theme: Our Time, Our Renaissance
  • March 28 – April 1, 2007
  • Greater Columbus Convention Center
  • Columbus, OH
NOBCChE 2006 34th Annual Conference
  • April 1 - 7, 2007
  • Grande Lakes Orlando
  • Orlando, FL
National Technical Association 81st Annual Conference
  • Theme: Scientific and Technical Literacy for the 21st Century
  • July 18 - 21, 2007
  • Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport
  • Baltimore, MA
Black Data Processing Associates 28th Annual Conference
  • Theme: Picturing the Future of Information Technology
  • August 15 - 18, 2007
  • Marriott Wardman Hotel
  • Washington, DC
The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science 2007 National Conference
  • Theme: Stretching the Imagination to Support Leadership and Sustainability
  • October 11 - 14, 2007
  • Kansas City, MO
National Women of Color in Technology Awards Conference
  • October 19 - 21, 2006
  • Atlanta, GA
2007 Society of Women Engineers National Conference
  • October 25 – 27, 2007
  • Nashville Convention Center
  • Nashville, TN
The Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists 33rd Annual International Symposium & Career Fair
  • October 25 - 27, 2007
  • Hyatt Regency Albuquerque & Albuquerque Convention Center
  • Albuquerque, NM
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National Technical Career Conference
  • October 31 – November 4, 2007
  • Philadelphia Convention Center
  • Philadelphia, PA
American Indian Science & Engineering Society 2007 National Conference
  • November 1 - 3, 2007
  • Phoenix, AZ
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Updated March 8, 2008
Donald L. Hinson, Jr.