RIT hosts the Black Inventions Exhibit (BIE) on February 1 | January 2019
On February 1, 2019, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) will host the Black Inventions Exhibit (BIE) at the Fireside Lounge from 12:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m., focused on the theme of Black Inventors Matter. This one-day traveling exhibit will serve as a tribute to the unsung heroes, Black inventors and innovators during the university’s Black Heritage Month.
The BIE mission is “to develop racial pride, promote racial understanding, and provide a new motivation for learning.”
Not a day goes by without a Black invention or innovation affecting someone’s life. A couple examples of Black inventions are the golf tee, the automatic traffic light, cellular phone and the dust pan. The mail box, pencil sharpener, super Soaker water gun (which grossed over $1 billion dollars) and the world’s fastest computer –peaking at 3.1 billion calculations per second– were created by the minds and hands of Black inventors.
Over 150 authentic artifacts are represented in the collection and include: patent designs, personal letters, rare photographs and brief biographies of Black American inventors. Also featured are motivational placards and video documentaries. The museum reveals many surprising facts, and highlights the accomplishments of Blacks in the fields of science, aerospace communication, health care, agriculture, transportation and engineering.
The aim of BIE is not only to give credit to the inventors, but to inspire others to believe that anything is possible.
Everyone in the RIT and Rochester community are welcome to attend this one-of-a-kind exhibit. American Sign Language Interpreters will be provided. This Black Heritage Month event is sponsored by the Division of Diversity & Inclusion and the Center for Campus Life.