What you’ll learn:
- Insight on notable African-American electrical engineers.
- What tech they invented, developed, or improved.
- What their lasting legacies will mean for the future.
After putting together our first list of remarkable engineers, I found the stories of the following nine people to be so important that I had to make another list, shining the spotlight on them in celebration of Black History Month.
Willie Hobbs Moore
Willie Hobbs Moore acquired a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering in 1958 and 1961, becoming the first black woman at Michigan University to achieve this feat. As a junior engineer at Bendix Aerospace Systems (1961-1962), she calculated plasma radiation and wrote proposals. Afterward, she approximated infrared radiation from space reentry vehicles for Barnes Engineering Company.
At the end of 1963, she became a theoretical analyst of stress-optical devices at Senior Dynamics. Then, she modeled optical hypersonic wakes and certified flow-field models at the University of Michigan. Moore worked at KMS Industries as a system analyst, supporting optics design staff and forming computer rules for optics.
Moore also became America’s first black woman to earn a Physics PhD in 1972. From 1972-1977, Moore served as a lecturer and research scientist at U-M, researching spectroscopy of proteins with Prof. Samuel Krimm. She subsequently worked for Ford as an assembly engineer, expanding the company’s use of Japanese engineering and manufacturing techniques.
Walter Braithwaite
Walter Braithwaite served as a Boeing engineer who helped advance computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology in aerospace engineering. He led efforts to adopt CAD/CAM to improve aircraft manufacturing and design. Braithwaite played a crucial role in Boeing’s switch to digital design processes—setting a new industry standard.
Thanks to his leadership, the Boeing 777 became the first jet designed on a computer. He eventually served as the first Black president of Boeing’s commercial airplane division. Braithwaite’s contributions extended further as he helped build the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES), a framework for exchanging digital info on CAD/CAM systems.
Katherine G. Johnson
Katherine G. Johnson loved studying mathematics and pursued it from a young age. It proved valuable in 1952 as she obtained a mathematics and computing skills job at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (which eventually became NASA). Her role involved devising calculations for spaceflight. Johnson calculated the trajectory of America's first human spaceflight in 1961 and John Glenn's orbital mission the following year. She also calculated the trajectory of Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 moon mission in 1969.
Jessica O. Matthews
Inventor and entrepreneur Jessica O. Matthews invented the SOCCKET, a portable energy-generating soccer ball. She and Julia Silverman, her classmate in college, founded Uncharted Power to develop SOCCKET. After 15 minutes of play, the ball generates enough electricity to power an LED bulb for three hours. In 2013, Black Enterprise recognized Matthews as “Innovator of the Year.”
Dr. Johnetta MacCalla
Roboticist Dr. Johnetta MacCalla is the co-founder and CEO of Zyrobotics, an award-winning creator of inclusive STEM educational technologies for the diverse needs of children with varied abilities. Microsoft awarded Zyrobotics with a $25 million grant, forming a partnership to develop AI that improves accessibility for disabled people.
MacCalla acquired her applied mathematics and electric engineering degrees from Brown University and Stanford University. She also earned her PhD in electrical, electronics, and communications engineering from the University of Southern California.
Annie Easley
Computer scientist and mathematician Annie Easley worked for NASA. She made key contributions to the Centaur rocket’s propulsion system that boosted satellites into orbit and propelled probes to space. Her efforts also helped advance early hybrid-vehicle battery technology.
Easley ran simulations at NASA’s Plum Brook Reactor Facility and worked on a program investigating how rocket launches damaged the ozone layer. In addition, she developed code to research and analyze energy conversion and alternative power tech for solar, wind, and energy projects.
Hazel O’Leary
Hazel O’Leary became the first woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Energy from 1993-1997. During her time in office, she strongly advocated for renewable energy and energy efficiency. O’Leary focused on implementing renewables in U.S. policy, making advances toward linking energy with health and environmental considerations. She also coordinated the Ambassadors for Minorities in Energy to boost diversity in the energy sector.
Ursula Burns
In 1980, Ursula Burns joined Xerox as a mechanical engineering intern after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. She also acquired her master’s degree at Columbia University in 1982.
Her role shifted to management in 1991, serving as executive assistant to the chairman. Burns was then promoted to president of Xerox in 2007 before being appointed CEO two years later, becoming the first black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.
Aprille Ericsson
Aprille Ericsson works for NASA as an instrument manager and aerospace engineer. She became the first black woman to earn her PhD in mechanical engineering with an aerospace option at Howard University. Ericsson also became the first black woman at NASA to earn a PhD in engineering.
During her 30-year career, Ericsson worked on the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ICESat-2 Atlas. She’s also recognized as one of the Top 50 Minority Women in Science and Engineering and the NASA Goddard Honor Award for Excellence in Outreach. She served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology from March 29, 2024 to January 20, 2025.
Countless African American people have contributed to technology and the world around us, and talking about these nine engineers seem hardly enough.
