Celebrating African American Trailblazers in Water Innovation

/ February 15, 2025 /

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month, but the lasting impact of Black and African American innovators in the water sector is longstanding.  Reservoir’s partners are committed to advancing solutions for global water challenges and promoting water equity. Our progress is made possible by the invaluable contributions of Black pioneers in the field.

From toilet systems to clean water advocacy, these trailblazers, among countless others, continue to shape water system design and protect our most vital resource.

Lewis Howard Latimer (1848 – 1928)

Born to self-emancipated enslaved Virginians in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Lewis Howard Latimer faced many challenges due to racial discrimination. Despite these challenges and no access to a formal education, he enlisted in the Union Navy in 1864 at the age of 16 and taught himself mechanical drawing. After serving in the Union Navy during the Civil War, Latimer used his self-taught drafting skills to secure a position at a patent law firm in Boston as a draftsman. There, he contributed to numerous significant inventions, working closely with Alexander Graham Bell and drawing the blueprints for Bell’s patent for the telephone in 1876.

Among his many notable inventions, Latimer is known for the improved railroad car bathroom, which significantly contributed to better sanitation. Latimer’s toilet closed at the bottom while the lid was open to prevent dust and debris from flying up. In total, the United States government awarded him patents for seven of his own inventions, including the railroad car toilet and an early air conditioning unit.

Saint Elmo Brady (1884 – 1966)

Elmo Brady was born on December 22, 1884, in Louisville, Kentucky, and was the eldest of three children. He graduated from Louisville Colored High School in 1903 and left home at the age of twenty to attend Fisk, an all-black college in Nashville, Tennessee, At Fisk, he was encouraged by his chemistry teacher to study chemistry. In 1908, Brady graduated with a bachelor’s degree and eventually became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry and went on to build chemistry curricula, faculty, programs, and facilities at four major historically black colleges and universities.

While he did not conduct research specifically on water, his major contributions to chemistry, such as developing new methods for preparing and purifying compounds, laid the groundwork for advancements in water analysis and treatment. His expertise in organic chemistry and research on the acidity levels of compounds provided valuable insights that could be applied to understanding water chemistry.

 

Hazel Johnson (1935 – 2011)

Johnson was born January 25, 1935, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a region of the country now known as “Cancer Alley” due to local health impacts from the chemical industry. Hazel was the oldest of four and was the only child in her family to survive past her first birthday. By the time she was 12, both of her parents had also passed away. In 1955, Johnson moved to Chicago, Illinois, with her husband, where she became involved in grassroots activism against housing segregation.

Johnson eventually became known as the mother of the environmental justice movement. She dedicated years researching environmental issues at a public housing project in the south side of Chicago. Her research connected industrial pollutants in the air, water, and land to the negative health impacts in her community. Taking matters into her own hands, Johnson founded the People for Community Recovery organization to fight for a safer environment. The organization educated residents on toxic waste and empowered them to play a positive role in their community. She also collaborated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and was part of a team of activists who urged President Clinton to sign the Environmental Justice Executive Order.

 

Amariyanna Copeny (2007-)

(Mari) Copeny is a 17-year-old from Flint, Michigan, known globally as Little Miss Flint.  She first gained national attention in 2016 when she wrote a letter to President Obama asking if he would meet with her and other Flint residents when they were in Washington to watch congressional hearings on the Flint water crisis. Obama responded to Copeny and told her that he would visit the city instead. That visit ultimately resulted in the approval of $100 million in relief for Flint. Despite her young age, she has made a powerful impact on the conversation around environmental racism, challenging the nation to confront the harsh realities faced by those affected by toxic drinking water.

In 2018, after Michigan ceased providing free bottled water to Flint residents, Copeny raised over $280,000 and distributed more than a million bottles of water. In 2019, she teamed up with a water filtration company to supply water filters to Flint and other communities struggling with toxic water.

Copeny continues to leverage social media to highlight important causes and raise funds to support the children of Flint.