Great Black Innovators

Did you ever hear of Matthew Henson or read about Granville Woods or Elijah McCoy in your history textbooks? If you didn't, author James Michael Brodie (Created Equal: The Lives and Ideas of Black American Innovators) isn't surprised. Brodie feels that racism has obscured recognition of African-American inventions and technical breakthroughs. In effect, these inventors were written out of our textbooks. This documentary (based on Brodie's book) has a dual focus: to rescue their achievements from oblivion, and to show how blacks managed to excel in spite of adversity. Matthew Henson accompanied Admiral Peary to the Arctic, and became the first man to set foot on the North Pole. Granville Woods was nicknamed "the black Thomas Edison," and invented a steam boiler and electrical transmitter. Elijah McCoy devised a system to automatically lubricate machinery, but lost business when customers realized he was black. Even a great man like Thomas Jefferson might admire the gifted Benjamin Banneker, but he couldn't consider Banneker an equal. Coverage of each inventor is very brief, and elaboration on some points would have been helpful, notably when Brodie implies that George Washington Carver found more fame than the others because whites selected him as an acceptable role model for blacks. Along with Brodie's commentary, historic photographs and dramatic re-enactments reinforce a worthy and vivid point that we all deserve recognition as individuals for our achievements. A script and teacher's guide is included, but isn't necessary for viewing the film. Recommended. (S. Rees)