If you are anyone like me, chances are, you probably have stayed in your house, went outside, talked to your friends, played outside, and done many other things near your neighborhood – at least once in your lifetime – without even thinking about danger. But did you know that the safety you enjoy every day is because of an African American?
This may surprise some of you. Although many communities of color tend to be downgraded and undervalued, the truth is that some of the most revolutionary inventions we have had are all thanks to people of color and Afro-Americans. There are many great African American inventors who made incredible inventions such as traffic lights, ironing boards, automatic elevator doors, carbon light bulb filament, and so many more. But today I want to focus on an individual who truly made safety something personal in our daily lives: Marie Van Brittan Brown, the inventor of the home security system.
Marie Brown was a nurse and an inventor who lived in a community with a very slow police response. When she realized that she was not able to provide proper security for her house, with her husband, Albert Brown, who was an electrician, Marie was motivated to look for ways that would allow her to know who was at her home and contact relevant authorities quickly in order to allow for a safer area.
The image shown above is the security system Marie Brown created with the help of her husband. As you can see from the picture, there are three peepholes in front of the door at different height levels which are used to see people of various heights. Opposite to the door, there is a camera with the ability to slide up and down. The camera would take images of the person outside the door and reflect it onto the monitor via a wireless system. There is also a voice component which would allow her to speak to the person outside without needing to open the door, and if the person was perceived as an intruder, the police would be notified with a push of the button. If the person was welcome, then the door could be unlocked via remote control.
Together, Marie and Albert Brown applied for a patent for a “Home Security System Using Television Surveillance” on August 1, 1966. On December 2, 1969, their application was accepted. Brown’s innovation earned her well-deserved acclaim, including a National Scientists Committee Award and an interview with the New York Times.
In the end, Brown is one of the many African Americans who has dramatically improved our way of living, and her impact on society still lives with us today as she laid the foundation of home security. Furthermore, her innovation paved the way for later security system companies (such as Ring) to include additional features all aimed to help us feel secure inside our homes – effectively. Statistically, with the implementation of these home security devices, there is a substantial decrease in crime rates in neighborhoods. Personally, each one of us are able spend time with our loved ones everyday in our homes with an extra level of security.
Author: Siva Epuri (LHS 9th Grade)
Works Cited
Hill, Rebecca. “Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922-1999) •.” •, 23 Oct. 2019, www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-marie-van-brittan-1922-1999/.
Mischianti, Olivia. “Marie Van Brittan Brown: Inventor of the Home Security System.” Medium, Code Like A Girl, 3 Feb. 2020, code.likeagirl.io/marie-van-brittan-brown-inventor-of-the-home-security-system-86efe686830b.