The Poetry of African American Invention: 'When One Door Closes Another Opens"

The myriad contributions of African-Americans in the context of the scientific and industrial growth of the United States have never been popularized. Beyond the names of George Washington Carver, Daniel Hale Williams, and Charles Drew, it is doubtful that many Americans or any age could name a single additional scientist of inventor of African American descent. The poems range from medium length to quatrains, from biographical to humorous. The biographical poems furnish a succinct look at the lives of the inventors, and most include the year(s) of their inventions. The humorous poems (such as "James Ricks") will appeal to children, with their brevity and unique rhyming schemes making them easy to memorize. Mary J. Session, Ph.D Historian