This Black History Month, I’m sharing stories of black inventors and their contributions to our lives with products we’ve come to know and love. Follow to learn about other black inventors and their products throughout the month!
Have you ever lived in tight quarters where you have to use your limited space efficiently? Maybe in New York City or another location where every square foot counts. Solutions for this could include furniture that serve multiple purposes.
I learned an African-American woman, who was born into slavery then moved to Chicago once freed after the Civil War, invented a bed as a solution. The bed could be folded up to serve as a roll-top desk with room for storage. This was the precursor to the Murphy Bed.
The Inventor: Sarah E. Goode
An African American woman, Sarah E. Goode invented a bed to make small apartments more livable.
The Product: Folding Cabinet Bed
U.S. Patent No. 322,177: Cabinet Bed (1885). Goode was the second known African-American woman to receive a United States patent.
The Pain Point
Goode owned a furniture store and heard complaints from customers who couldn’t fit furniture in their small spaces, including a bed.
The Solution
Goode’s husband Archie was a carpenter and she came up with the folding cabinet bed as a solution to maximize small spaces.
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Do you own a Murphy Bed? Have you ever used one? Let me know below!
Dasanj Aberdeen is an entrepreneurial spirit who embodies the combination of left-brain logic and right-brain creativity. She is a consultant and proponent of multidisciplinary education, approaches and pursuits. She writes about their benefits in modern times and integrating multiple interests into a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. She’s a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University with a concentration in Technology & Innovation Management, jointly delivered by the Fox School of Business and College of Engineering.
