By: Valery Warner, Jaden Majewski, and Daylun Armstrong
February 11, 2020
Before Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, many had to deal with the discomfort and inconvenience of using cloth pads and rags during their menstrual cycles. Due to racial discrimination, Kenner’s invention (the sanitary belt) was overlooked and not implemented until 30 years later.
Born to a family of inventors in North Carolina on May 17, 1912, Kenner always had a desire to create something new.
After her high school graduation in 1931, she attended Howard University but sadly was forced to drop out due to financial pressures.
This did not stop Kenner as she still found a way to create and improve the world around us.
She took on odd jobs (babysitting and finally as a federal employee). Eventually, she saved up enough money to make the first patent for sanitary napkins.
Her idea sparked interest in the marketing world, but as soon as the investors found out that she was African-American, all interest was lost. With lost interest came lost hopes and dreams for Kenner.
With the loss of money and dreams, she still did not give up hope. She was inspired in her daily life to continue inventing.
Kenner eventually filed five patents in total, more than any other African-American woman in history.
Never recognized or paid for her numerous inventions, Kenner still had a positive outlook and never felt the need to create anything for money or fame; she created them out of love, for the craft, and for the common good of human beings (though she should have been paid and given credit and recognition for her work).
Unfortunately, Kenner died at the age of 93 on January 13, 2006, but it will never be forgotten that she believed that anyone could make a difference with their inventions and improve today’s world.
People today can thank Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner for creating a product(s) that not only makes life easier but makes that time of the month a little bit easier as well.
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 