By Don Valentine
Every owner of a home security system will extoll the peace of mind it provides. Strada services annotated the security systems merits, “A well-designed security system provides a comprehensive shield against various threats, safeguarding your property and peace of mind.” We can thank the genius intellect of a Black inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown. Astonishingly, Marie’s brilliance was masked as a hard working nurse in New York city. Crime in the early ‘60s was rampant in Queens. That Black area had notoriously slow police response times. Her husband Albert worked as an electronics technician and their shifts were spaced erratically throughout the day. This would often leave her alone at night and they were both feared for her safety. Plato wrote “Necessity is the mother of invention.” and it sparked the home security foundation we use today.
Marie’s biggest fear was answering the door at night. Black Past succinctly described her solution, “At the opposite side of the door a camera was attached with the ability to slide up and down to allow the person to see through each peephole. The camera picked up images that would reflect on the monitor via a wireless system. The monitor could be placed in any part of the house to allow you to see who was at the door.
There was also a voice component to enable Brown to speak to the person outside. If the person was perceived to be an intruder, the police would be notified with the push of a button. If the person was a welcome or expected visitor, the door could be unlocked via remote control.
In an interview with the New York Times, Marie pointed out that with her patented system, “a woman alone could set off an alarm immediately by pressing a button, or if the system were installed in a doctor’s office, it might prevent hold ups by drug addicts.” Today her patent is referenced by 13 subsequent inventors who trace their own creation back to some aspect of her closed-circuit system. Thanks to a Black woman who pioneered the field of home security.
Ebony Moments – Vignette is below. [Works best placed independently]