Black Inventors Who Don’t Get the Credit They Deserve

Black Inventors Who Don’t Get the Credit They Deserve

Shannon Quinn - February 15, 2023

Black Inventors Who Don’t Get the Credit They Deserve
Because of Mary van Brittan Brown, we have home security systems. Credit: Smithsonian

Inventor Mary Van Brittan Brown Patented the Home Security System

Mary Van Brittan Brown, born in 1922, invented a home security system and patented it in 1966. Concerned with the high crime rate in her apartment building, Brown designed a system that included a closed-circuit television that residents could monitor from inside their homes. She also invented a remote-controlled door-locking mechanism. Brown’s invention was a groundbreaking contribution to the field of home security and paved the way for more advanced systems, yet she received little recognition or compensation for her work during her lifetime.

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