The Mystery That Remains

Returning to the central question of this article: how could someone with such significant contributions remain largely unknown for so long?

The partial answer is structural.

The historical record was constructed by people who did not think it their business to record the achievements of Black women inventors, and so those achievements were not recorded.

The commercial system was operated by people who did not want to do business with Black women inventors, and so the inventions were not commercialized in ways that would have generated the visibility that commercial success brings.

The educational system was designed to teach certain stories and not others, and so the students who came through that system learned about some inventors and not others.