The absence of Black inventors and women inventors from the historical narrative is not a neutral omission.

It actively shapes what people believe about who can invent.

This is why the recovery of histories like Mary Kenner’s matters.

It is not simply about giving credit where credit was denied — though that matters too.

It is about constructing an accurate historical record that reflects the full range of American inventive achievement, and about providing the role models and the narrative framework that allow people of all backgrounds to see themselves as potential inventors.

The Structural Barriers to Black Invention