In honor of Black History Month, we celebrate and acknowledge black pioneers in computer science and cybersecurity. Without their incredible contributions to technology, the cyberworld in which we live may not have been possible. We encourage you to learn more about these individuals and have included links below to read more.
Annie Easley was one of the first black women to be hired by NASA as a ‘human computer’. She specialised in computer programming and alternative energy technologies, providing the technological foundations for some of the most important inventions of the 20th century, including communications, military and weather satellites.
Dr. Clarence “Skip” Ellis, a computer scientist, was the first black person to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Illinois in 1969. He contributed to the development of ILLIAC IV supercomputer, icon-based GUI, object-oriented programming languages, “groupware” technology and operational transformation (OT). He was also the first black person named to the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM).
Dr. Evelyn Boyd Granville, a mathematician, was the second black woman to earn a Ph.D. from Yale in 1949. She joined IBM in 1956 as a computer programmer, writing software programmes for the IBM 650 computer. Granville also worked on various projects for NASA’s Apollo space program, including digital computer techniques.
Jerry Lawson, a computer engineer, designed and developed the first of its kind, an “entertainment machine” called the Fairchild Channel F in the 1970s. This allowed users to switch out game cartridges and play various games on the same machine. PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, etc. all owe their successes to Jerry Lawson.
Jesse Eugene Russell is an early advocate for the use of microprocessors within the Bell System Network, is an inventor without who our smart phones might not exist. The first black person to be hired by AT&T Bell Laboratories, Russell made his way up to Chief Wireless Architect as well as the Vice President of Advanced Communications Technology. Jesse Russell holds patents for 4G and continues to invent and innovate in the wireless industry.
Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls Code in 2011, a non-profit organisation that teaches programming to young girls of colour. She has been named as one of the 25 Most Influential African Americans in Technology by Business Insider and was honoured by the White House in 2013 as a “Champion of Change for Tech Inclusion”.
Marian R. Croak is the reason we can now make video calls to work from home and see friends and family all over the world without leaving the house. Her work in the 1990s contributed to the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). Today, she has over 200 patents and is a Vice President at Google. She is passionate about making sure Artificial Intelligence is used responsibly and to have a positive impact on society.
Marie Van Brittan Brown invented the audio-video alarm system in 1966. The security system was the basis for the two-way communication and surveillance features of modern security. Her original invention consisted of peepholes, a camera, monitors, and a two-way microphone. The final element was an alarm button that could be pressed to contact the police immediately.
Mark Dean worked at IBM for over 30 years and was a key pioneer in the invention of PCs and their ability to communicate with other devices. His work also led to the development of computer plug-ins such as disk drives and printers. He holds 20 patents and made computing accessible to all. Without his work, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article right now!
Roy L. Clay Sr. started working as a computer programmer at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in California in 1958. By 1965 he was recruited by Hewlett-Packard’s computer development business and led HPs first foray into the computer market with the 2116A minicomputer, having developed the software. He was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council’s Hall of Fame in 2003. He also established a number of programs to encourage and support people from minority backgrounds to get involved in technology and science.
These are just a few names to highlight. Feel free to post in the comments about other Black cybersecurity pioneers! It is more important now than ever that we continue to celebrate and share this abundant and rich history. It’s more than Black history; it’s our history.