Author Otha Richard Sullivan once headed Detroit's program to infuse African American history into the public school curriculum. Here he profiles 25 black American woman who have made significant contributions to science and technology, explaining that many, many more are utterly unknown because first of legal bans on granting patents to slaves and later because of social constraints on women. His message to black schoolgirls is that just because they have not heard of black women scientists does not mean that the profession is closed to them. Countless African American women have made important contributions to science that impact the way we live, work, and think today. Too often their accomplishments have gone unrecorded. African American Women Scientists and Inventors introduces you to some of these outstanding women and their achievements. Here are lively profiles of both unsung and legendary heroines spanning three hundred years of American history. For example, find out how Madame C.J. Walker emerged from a heritage of slavery to develop the "Walker System" of hair care that allowed her to employ thousands, fund foundations and scholarships to help young African Americans and become the first woman millionaire. Bessie Blount Griffin, a physical therapist, invented a device to help the disabled feed themselves. Angela D. Ferguson, M.D., discovered a way to detect sickle cell anemia in newborns. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics, became a leader in her field. She was the first African American to become president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, where she teaches today. Meet African American women of science and invention from the early years to modern times.