by Sekou | May 21, 2021 | Features, Reviews
Intro
Is it me, or has the music scene in 2021 been S L O W?? I mean, we came off of a year that was amazing for music! We had amazing pop hits and albums with After Hours, Future Nostalgia, and Folklore; we had some crazy R&B records with Chloe X Halle, Beyonce, and John Legend; and of course, we had rap. Man… Folks was RAPPIN last year! We had Freddie Gibbs releasing the best album of the year (fight me), we had Lil Baby release one of the most socially aware songs of the year, we had a new sex jam from Cardi B and Meghan the Stallion, and we had Griselda DOMINATE the entire year with their releases. This year? I mean… We had the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack!… However, things were shaken up May 7th, when… Well, let me put it this way: The real is back, the Ville is back, flow bananas… PEEL THIS BACK!
Yes, J. Cole came back with a song called, “Interlude” from his new album, The Off-Season. And it was good! Soulful production, lyricism that Cole’s known for, and name drops of Nipsey and Pimp C! We all were thinking, “How will the album sound? Will it be good? Will Cole save 2021??” Well, let’s discuss The Off-Season by J. Cole.
Music
We start with “95 South”, which is a HELL of a way to open an album! Opening with some Cam’Ron, and Cole stuntin’ on rappers, saying that “I’m out here goin Triple platinum when I come around, y’all only doin 100K?? Please…” We then go straight to “Amiri”, which is… pretty much a rags-to-riches song. The production on here is very soulful, and the whole album has some dynamic but thematic production. Something a bit harder though… “Applying Pressure”. THIS TRACK RIGHT HERE! Cole starts talking about how he doesn’t respond to haters and starts calling out all the rappers that are out here cappin’ for clout, telling people that there’s nothing wrong with living check to check as he did before, and calls out broke people who clown millionaires! There is one issue with this song, though; and that would be the outro. The outro went on a bit longer than I would’ve preferred.
More Music!
There were also two songs on here that we’ve already heard, in “Interlude” and “The Climb Back”. “Interlude” can be forgiven, because it was a single for the album, but “The Climb Back” seemed unnecessary. That said, “The Climb Back” is STILL fire! One of the most soulful songs on here is “My Life”, almost sounding like “a lot” part 2, having that production and 21 Savage on the song. Musically, it is so damn good! Cole flows on that beat perfectly, and 21… Don’t ger me started on 21, we’ll talk about him more in Features, but spoiler: he S N A P P E D! We are given plenty of memorable lyrics from Cole (“I’ll put an M right on your head, you Luigi brother now” will be said for a while), but that’s to be expected from Cole. For this section, I would give the Music a 3.5/5. The production did its thing, but it seemed as if we had 3 filler songs, in “100 Mil’”, “Amiri”, and “Punchin’ the Clock”.
Therapy
This album feels like J. Cole’s flashback episode. Y’all know how at the end of a series, before it ends, we get the episode just showing the highlights of the series? This is what Cole’s album feels like, almost reflecting on his life. In “My Life”, he discusses how being poor in his youth made him envious and only made his grind harder. He also talks about how after his final album, The Fall-Off, he’ll be selling out Wrigley Stadium. We also get some confirmation on an incident that happened with P. Diddy on the song, “Let Go My Hand”. We also hear how he felt that he needed to act tough in his youth, even though he was fearful of getting punched in the face. This ties into the track before it, “Pride is the Devil”. Cole talks about how pride has made him do some foolish things, and he asks if that will be all he has left if his fame diminishes. A question that is answered on the final track, “Hunger on the Hillside”. He says that he will still be himself after it is all said and done. A huge theme of this album is reflection. At times, we can get the “rags-to-riches” types of stories, but those are contained to the filler tracks. Everything else? 5/5.
Features
Y’all remember the meme of J. Cole going double-platinum with no features, right? Well, I’m happy Cole said, “Forget the memes, I’m bringing some friends!” The features on here are just… Lil Baby on “Pride is the Devil” is a damn near cheat code, as his melodic flow complements the beat super well, Bas and 6Lack on “Let Go My Hand” is beautiful, Morray on “My Life” was dope! And then there was 21… 21 Savage is easily one of the best trap rappers we have right now. Starting with songs like “No Heart” and “Bank Account” to giving us “a lot”, he has truly improved over time. I’m happy to say that his verse on My Life” shows that growth. 21 goes IN, talking about how he’s seen things that traumatized him, how he has a heart so he’ll send condolences to the mothers of the ops that were killed, a really weird line about how niggas are chicken breasts, how he prays that his past isn’t ahead of him, and my favorite line of the song (damn near favorite line of the album): Planted a seed, but it ain’t a sesame, can’t let you niggas and bitches grow next to me. DAMN!! 4.5/5 for the features!
Problems
You might’ve noticed that I mentioned filler tracks… While this is a very well-rounded project, there is definitely an issue with a couple songs feeling like they were just there as placeholders. “Amiri” has some great production, but it feels like the obligatory “rags-to-riches” song, “Punchin’ the Clock” was so short that I don’t have much to say about it, and “100 Mil” is just… Mid. Like, there’s a line about people cappin’ for clout, and a confusing line about how Michael B. Jordan would take a dude’s girl, but the layout of it is a bit muddled. Also, I felt like having “The Climb Back” on here was a little unnecessary since we got it last year on Lewis Street. Maybe it wouldn’t have caught my attention as much had the album come out sooner, but this is just a minor nitpick.
Overall
This album is so dope! It has its low points, with some filler tracks and some confusing bars, but it still tapped into one of J. Cole’s biggest rapping strengths: empathy. When you hear J. Cole rap on here, you really feel what he is going through! When you hear “Close”, where he feels like he is just on the cusp of his dreams but not there yet, you feel his passion and can put yourself in his shoes. When you hear “My Life”, you feel his envy when he’s talking about his friends selling dope when he was younger and getting the money he desired; and on “Let Go My Hand”, you can reminisce on that time him and Diddy scrapped, because we were following hip-hop back in the 2010s! Cole gave us his flashback episode, and I think that I speak for all of us when I say, “We were happy reminiscing with you, and we’re anxiously waiting for the finale.”
Final Rating
13/15
MT OUT!!
Photo Creds: J. Cole
by Sekou | Feb 22, 2021 | Black Innovators, Features
I don’t think that I’m alone in the fact that a broken elevator is TERRIFYING. Like, seriously, have any of you ever been on a shaky ass elevator?? You feel like it’s about to be ALL over. This is with elevators that have been made relatively recently! Did you know that elevators had to be manned by the passengers at first? Yep, you would have to open the door, close the door, and make sure the door to the elevator shaft was closed as well. If that didn’t happen, other passengers… let’s just say that they would be going for a pretty long fall. This isn’t the safest way to go up and down buildings, so there was a man who decided to make automatic doors. A Black man, by the name of Alexander Miles.
Beginnings.
To keep it real, there is not a lot on the youth of Alexander Miles. He was born in 1838, and there has been some disputes on where he was born. Some say Ohio, while others say Duluth, Minnesota; where he was living while coming up with the invention. His parents were named Michael Miles and Mary Pompy.
In the 1860s, Miles moved to Wisconsin and worked as a barber where he started experimenting with creating hair products. After moving back to Minnesota in 1870, he met his wife, a white woman by the name of Candace J. Dunlap. They had a daughter named Grace in 1879, and relocated back to Duluth.
Duluth, MN.
Miles and his wife found work, as Miles ran a barbershop and Candace became a dressmaker. Miles’ barbershop was in the four-story St. Louis Hotel, and he purchased a real estate office. Let’s acknowledge this: it is around 1880, and this man purchased a real estate office. That is excellent. Even though it was in the north, I will ALWAYS praise Black people achieving big things like that in the 19th century. As time passed, Miles made more achievements. He became the first Black member of Duluth’s Chamber of Commerce, and he even built a three-story brownstone building that is known as Miles Block. With a three-story building, you know what you might want? Elevators.
The Big Invention.
Remember when I told you that closing the door to the elevator shaft was important? Well, Miles felt the exact same way, as he was on one with his daughter and that shaft door was open. Almost immediately after, Miles started drafting up blueprints for automatic elevator doors.
Now, someone else had the patent for elevators first (John W. Meaker), but Miles still applied for a patent. Miles’ elevator was going to have those automatic doors by attaching a flexible belt to the cage of the elevator. Once it came in contact with the drums that were above and below the floors, the elevator shaft doors were able to operate at appropriate times. Through some levers and rollers, the elevator doors would open and close on their own. Miles’ model is still used in modern designs of elevators, and all most of us have ever known are automatic doors in and on elevators.
Final Days and Impact.
Miles and his family moved to Chicago around 1900, where he created an insurance agency. The agency’s goal was to eliminate the discriminatory treatment of blacks. “Insurance companies persist in holding out discriminative rates to these colored people..” stated by Miles. Near the end of his life, Miles was believed to be the “wealthiest colored man in the Northwest.” After 1905, Miles died, but his legacy was still recognized as he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007.
Alexander Miles is an innovator that you don’t hear about too often. For a man who changed something that we use so frequently, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the first time you’ve heard of him! Hopefully, I can do him justice by showing you how he changed the elevator so we wouldn’t have to stress (or die) closing the doors manually. Alexander Miles, your legacy will not be forgotten!
MT Out!!!
Photo creds: Duluth Public Library
References
BHA. (2021). Alexander Miles: African American Inventors. Retrieved from My Black History: http://www.myblackhistory.net/Alexander_Miles.htm
National Inventors Hall of Fame. (2021). NIHF Inductee Alexander Miles. Retrieved from National Inventors Hall of Fame: https://www.invent.org/inductees/alexander-miles
Scholastic Teacher’s Activity Guide. (2021). Alexander Miles | Famous African American Inventors. Retrieved from Scholastic Teacher’s Activity Guide: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/miles.htm
White, D. (2018, January 4). Alexander Miles (1838-1918). Retrieved from Black Past: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/miles-alexander-1838-1918/
by Sekou | Nov 27, 2020 | Features
The Weeknd and Mac Miller were ROBBED!! Two of the best albums to come out this year and not a SINGLE Grammy nomination!!! That is some BS!!!! With that our of the way, let’s talk the Grammys.
The Grammys are the Super Bowl for music awards shows. That is the reason so many people care so much about the Grammys. It’s just like the Super Bowl or a championship game. You think, “My team (favorite artist) finally got the trophy!” Now, we as Black people need to treat our own awards shows with such prestige, but that is a conversation for a different time.
Today I am going to discuss the Grammy predictions and what I hope wins! Quick points before we get started: I won’t be covering every category, and I haven’t heard all of the albums so I’m coming in with bias. Here are the categories that will be covered: Record, Song, Album, Rap Song, and Rap Album. One last thing: this probably won’t be the most fleshed out of my pieces due to the nature of it, it will most likely be “Prediction and Reason/What I Want and Reason”.
With the preamble out of the way, let’s get into predictions!
Record of the Year
- “Black Parade” – Beyonce
- “Colors” – Black Pumas
- “Rockstar” – DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
- “Say So” – Doja Cat
- “Everything I Wanted” – Billie Eilish
- “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
- “Circles” – Post Malone
- “Savage” – Meghan Thee Stallion ft. Beyonce
What I Want and Why: “Don’t Start Now” because Future Nostalgia was one of the best pop albums of the year and this song is exemplary of a huge pop record
What I Expect and Why: “Savage” or “Say So” because of how huge they were, leaning towards “Savage” because of the tumultuous year Meghan had.
Song of the Year
- “Black Parade” – Beyonce
- “The Box” – Roddy Ricch
- “Cardigan” – Taylor Swift
- “Circles” – Post Malone
- “Don’t Start Now” – Dua Lipa
- “Everything I Wanted” – Billie Eilish
- “I Can’t Breathe” – H.E.R.
- “If the World Was Ending” – JP Saxe ft.
What I Want and Why: “The Box” because Roddy Ricch made a certified BANGER, got it to #1 over Justin Bieber, and had a fantastic album to boot. The man deserves it!
What I Expect and Why: “Cardigan” because it is a good song and this seems to be Taylor’s year to sweep the Grammys.
Album of the Year
- Chilombo – Jhene Aiko
- Black Pumas (Deluxe Edition) – Black Pumas
- Everyday Life – Coldplay
- DJesse Vol. 3 – Jacob Collier
- Women in Music Pt. III – HAIM
- Future Nostalgia – Dua Lipa
- Hollywood’s Bleeding – Post Malone
- Folklore – Taylor Swift
What I Want and Why: Future Nostalgia because it is a perfect pop album with songs that match the title of the album. We will be listening to “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating” for a long, long time.
What I Expect and Why: Folklore because Christ it is so damn good, and like I said earlier, Taylor is going to sweep this year like Billie last year.
Let’s get to some RAP!
Rap Song of the Year
- “The Box” – Roddy Ricch
- “The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby
- “Laugh Now, Cry Later – Drake ft. Lil Durk
- “Rockstar” – DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
- “Savage” – Meghan Thee Stallion ft. Beyonce
What I Want and Why: “The Bigger Picture” because… come on now! A trap artist made one of the best songs about racial tension in America that we have ever heard and the man proved himself to be more than a “insert transitional artist here” type with a phenomenal album in My Turn (which also wasn’t nominated… we’re going to be pouring into the NAACP Image Awards, brothers and sisters!). For more information on why I think this should win, check out this right here: https://musiqtherapymag.com/song-review-lil-baby-the-bigger-picture/
What I Expect and Why: “Savage” if “Say So” wins Record, just off the strength of Meghan’s year; or “The Bigger Picture” because awards shows have been giving us (Black people) all the awards as some kind of apology, so it would make sense for them to give the award to the song that actually addresses the tension.
Rap Album of the Year
- Black Habits – D Smoke
- Alfredo – Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
- A Written Testimony – Jay Electronica
- King’s Disease – Nas
- The Allegory – Royce Da 5’9
What I Want and Why: Alfredo because y’all have seen my review of it. It is a perfect album, one of the best albums of the entire year, and it would be fantastic to see Gangsta Gibbs win a Grammy.
What I Expect and Why: King’s Disease because they would be trying to rectify the fact that Nas has never gotten a Grammy.
Hope you all enjoyed this predictions list! Happy Black Friday and be safe!
MT Out!!
Photo; Creator: Don Emmert
Photo Creds: AFP/Getty Images
Full Nomination List here: https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/2021-grammys-complete-nominees-list
by Sekou | Nov 3, 2020 | Features, Reviews
I don’t envy the struggle of musicians. Seriously, always on the road, having to contend with fans that will flip on you if you say the wrong thing, and having to worry about your label screwing you over. But do you know what one of the hardest things has to be? The aftermath of you making a damn near perfect and universally acclaimed album. An album that is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, something that generations listen to, and something that is pleasing to the ears of every critic. What the hell do you do after you do that?
Well, the King of Pop was certainly in that predicament after making Thriller. If you don’t know what Thriller is, stop reading, build a time machine, and go back to your childhood to slap your parents, because Thriller is one of the greatest albums of all time. Seriously, it is an exercise in pop music. However, it did leave two problems… 1. It was one of the best albums ever made, 2. It solidified him as the “white meat babyface” to borrow from wrestling terms. As mentioned before, it is hard to follow up a perfect album, but as for the second point?
This pigeonholed Mike, who people had basically seen grow up from the Jackson 5 days, and it basically made him that cookie-cutter pop icon. However, MJ wanted to show that he had edge to him. He wanted to show that he wasn’t soft. He wanted to show that he was… Bad.
Music
In this album, MJ wants to talk about how he is a bad boy, and you know he’s bad. Like, really, really bad. Bad to the BONE! If I sound like I’m being repetitive, this is basically the crux of the title track. The fact that he is not on any bubblegum stuff anymore, the fact that he’s bad. And to be honest… it does work at some points! With songs like “Just Good Friends” and “The Way You Make Me Feel”, he has a very PG-13 air to him through the album, but it’s a great progression. With that said, he does have some stumbles…
For example, while “Bad” is catchy, it is MAD repetitive, and after a while, the repetition goes from fun to annoying. “Dirty Diana” is MJ’s take on a sex-crazed groupie, and it is honestly one of the best and funniest things ever. Best because the song itself is good, but it is super funny because it comes off as MJ trying to be a player-type, which he just didn’t portray (that COMMME OWWWNNNN at the end of the song absolutely wrecks me, because it is so funny). And then there’s “Speed Demon”… This man… trying to prove how BAD he is… Made a song… About SPEEDING… Bruh.
Of course, there are the standard love songs in “Liberian Girl” and “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, which are pretty good, but my favorite song, and my favorite MJ song in general? “Smooth Criminal”. Y’all… This man wasn’t human. How do you craft a song that good, with a video that good, with a LEAN that FRESH????? There is no question about how fantastic that song is. Now, you might be thinking, “MT, you are missing some BIG songs…” Don’t worry, I’m just about to discuss them.
THERAPY
In this new section, we discuss the music that had a message, as well as the overall message and feeling of the album. With that stated, let’s address the songs that aren’t “Man In the Mirror.” “Another Part of Me” is a song that basically is saying that we are all connected, and “Leave Me Alone” is technically about a crazy stalker-girl but it can also be about how he wants the press to leave him alone. Now…
“Man In the Mirror” is one of MJ’s most famous songs. It is to the level of Thriller where you just need to know it. He talks about how he’s going to make a change and how change truly starts with yourself. Making the world a better place starts with you becoming a better person. Let’s keep it real: this song is a masterpiece, and I don’t know how to say that it’s perfect over 20 times.
Also, another therapy aspect is that MJ seemed like he wanted to show how “bad” he was. This is a big aspect because it shows how being viewed as only one type of person (basically being typecast) can damage the psyche and make you try to be something you’re not.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND RATING
Well, how was this album as a whole? I’ve picked apart what works and what doesn’t work, and have been pretty harsh on MJ for trying to prove that he was a bad boy. Does this mean I think that the album Bad is… well,bad? Not in the slightest! This album is honestly the best follow-up to Thriller. It tries something new in the concept of being the bad boy type, which can be really good when done right, but it still has some Thriller flavor (“The Way You Make Me Feel” sounds like it could’ve been on Thriller). The title track may be repetitive, it may sound like MJ thinks speeding is living life on the edge, and he may be coming off as disingenuous separating his “goody-two-shoes” image, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t sound beautiful.
“Man In the Mirror”, “Just Good Friends”, “Bad” (yes, I said it was repetitive to a point, but it is still a great pop song), “Smooth Criminal”, and plenty others make this album amazing. With several songs that define pop music and a thematic element that has the ability to work to either make you love the music, or make you laugh at what the King of Pop thinks as “bad”, this is an amazing album that you need to hear.
4.5/5
MT Out!
Photo Creds: Epic Records, Graphic Artists: Troy Lane/Nancy Donald
by Sekou | Oct 22, 2020 | Features, Reviews
It is GOOD to be BACK!!!!! I’ve missed you all so much! I hope you’ve all been surviving the best you can, as this year is the year that keeps on hurting. It’s time to come back to the positive side of the Internet, with MT leading the charge, and- hold up, what’s that title say???? I wanted to come back with something that has positive subject matter, and y’all just… Damn, Damn, DAMN!!
*deep breath*… Ok… This is one of my favorite songs of all time, an easy 5/5, hell, it’s a 10/5. With that being said, this song is… an emotional rollercoaster. When I tell you that after every time I listen to it, I have to go on a whole dopamine intervention listening to every single feel-good song I have… This is all to say that this will get sad, but sometimes we need that in our lives. The next review should be much happier!
The Rapper
So let me tell you about Immortal Technique. Immortal Technique is a legendary underground rapper that is relatively well known by hip hop heads, and his main themes in his rapping are usually centered around revolutionary thinking, politics, and the dangers of gang violence in some cases (“Dance with the Devil” is the song that introduced me and plenty others to him, and all I have to say is… JESUS). With a man who focuses on these dense topics, you would seldom find him rapping about love… And you still don’t exactly. This song isn’t about love exactly, but I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s discuss “You Never Know” by Immortal Technique.
Verse 1
The song starts off with Technique talking about a girl that was on her way to becoming a college graduate, a Latina who Tech would think about wifing up QUICK. However, she was not so quick to reciprocate that feeling, with any guy. It didn’t matter if you were a thug or a rich-kid, she would always display her disinterest. What’s interesting about these lines is the fact that he’s using past tense. This, of course, denotes it being in the past, but it’s also how he says it in the song. He says it less reminiscent of old memories, and more like he’s disappointed, which in my opinion is beautiful foreshadowing. He then goes on to talk about how the women in this college grad girl’s life talk behind her back because of jealousy of her, and the first verse ends with Tech saying, “She had a style all her own, respectful and pure; I was sick in the head for her and there wasn’t a cure”.
We then get the chorus from Jean Grae, saying that time waits for no man, and that we should hold tight to our loves because we never know. I love how this is left open to our own interpretation. We never know could mean we never know when they’ll leave, it could mean we never know when they’ll die, it could mean that we never know when they’ll change as a person. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but… That’s kinda what I do…
Verse 2
The next verse talks about how Tech starts talking to this girl, and he doesn’t come to her like he’s a thirsty dude trying to get in her draws, and she notices that, so they talk for a little bit. A little bit turns into a lotta bit, and they are giving each other gifts (Tech wrote her a poem with flowers, and she got him books every few weeks), they went to her cousin’s baby shower, he even stopped talking to other women! It was to the point where he was either with her or his boys. She would always call him Cariño, instead of Technique. So he decided to tell her his true feelings, and… she cried… Not the good, “I’m so happy” crying, the “oh no” crying… and she left.
Verse 3
He didn’t see her for years, and he ended up going to jail for a year. When he got out, everyone was happy to see him. However, he didn’t see her. His mother was crying to see him, but it wasn’t her. He was messing around with plenty of other women, but they weren’t her. It was eating him up inside, so he went to her parent’s apartment, where he saw her cousin slinging drugs to make ends meet. When he saw her mom, she hugged him and was happy, bur then he asked about her.
Verse 4
Her mother got upset but directed Tech to her room. There was a letter for him, and she said that by the time he read it, she would already be dead. She fell in love with him and felt terrible, because she knew that they could never be together. She said that when he left for jail, she left as well. (MAJOR SPOILER FOR THE SONG: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED). She had passed in ’97 (I won’t tell you how, listen to the song for that), but she wishes that he was the one that she could’ve given herself to, as her final wish was that he never forgets about her. Tech says that this is why he doesn’t fall in love with people and tells us that we should hold people that we love close to us, not just the person that has sex with us.
Thoughts and Rating
GOOD GOD. Where do I start? Well, first, the production was phenomenal. I’m personally a sucker for an acoustic guitar in a rap song so that hit the sweet spot. The story itself was wonderfully told and so easy to follow, Immortal Technique is a masterful storyteller. The way the song ends is amazing too, as he says that there isn’t a sequel to this. Throughout the whole song, he also uses his voice in a way that foreshadows the unfortunate situation of what will be happening in the song.
Delivery, story, and A1 rapping. This song is one of the best rap songs you will ever here. Like I said, 10/5 stars. MT Out! It’s good to be back!
Photo Creds: Unknown, Immortal Technique Album Cover
by Sekou | Aug 3, 2020 | Black Innovators, Features
Let’s talk about how crucial irons are. Seriously, have you ever left your crib with wrinkled clothes? You are an easy target to get roasted! With an iron, you can save yourself from getting joaned on into oblivion. But do you know what comes in handy with an iron? You guessed it, an ironing board! Ironing boards truly make ironing easier, otherwise you be ironing on an uneven couch. And of course, this innovation was made by none other than a Black woman. Let me tell you about Sarah Boone.
Born Sarah Marshall in North Carolina in 1832, Sarah was unfortunately born into slavery. However, she did obtain her freedom. Some say that it was due to her husband James Boone, who was a free man. They married in 1847 and had 8 children together. Right before the Civil War, Boone and her family migrated to New Haven, Connecticut using a network tied to the Underground Railroad. When they settled into a Black neighborhood near Dixwell Avenue, it was here where Mrs. Boone had her first career.
Sarah Boone first worked as a dressmaker, while her husband worked as a bricklayer up until his death in the 1870s. However, Sarah Boone made enough money to own her own house. I don’t think y’all understand how amazing this is. Not only is this a woman in the 1800s, but a Black woman in the 1800s, owning her own house. Simply incredible. What is also incredible is that she took steps to learn to read and write. Back then, it was illegal for a Black person to read or write, so she took the initiative to learn in her late 40s. Sources say that it could have been through her membership at Dixie Congregational Church. After this, Boone went on to create her famous invention: the improved ironing board.
Boone was facing touch competition in the dressmaking game, and was trying to find a way for her dresses to be more eye-catching to customers. In the early 1890s, she experimented with the ironing board. See at this time, dressmakers were usually ironing their clothes on a wooden plank that was placed across two chairs. This worked for wide skirts, but for tight material, this didn’t work as well. Boone’s idea? To create a curved and narrow board that could slip into sleeves and allow for clothes to be moved without getting wrinkled. This was padded, which eliminated impressions that would come from a wooden board, as well as being made into a collapsible piece to store it better. In 1891, Boone applied for a patent for her improved ironing board, and was awarded U.S. Patent No. 473,653 a year later. Sarah Boone is one of the first Black women to earn a patent, absolutely incredible.
On October 29, 1904, Sarah Boone died from Bright’s disease. She was buried with her mother and husband in the Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven. The roughest part about being an inventor back in this time period is the fact that you don’t really get to benefit off of your products. There were a couple factors in this: one is the fact that there were only 12 years between the patent and her death, and two, she was a Black woman in the 1800s, which meant there was no respect or recognition. Today, I am here to rectify that. Sarah Boone, thank you for your contribution, your legacy will not be forgotten. MT Out!
Biography.com Editors. Sarah Boone Biography. 2 April 2014. 2 August 2020.
Photo Creds: YouTube
