Juneteenth marks a powerful moment in American history, celebrating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas were told of their freedom, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s a holiday rooted in the idea of delayed justice and long-overdue recognition, but it’s also a chance to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans throughout American life. One of the most overlooked areas where these contributions shine is technology. African Americans have had a lasting and transformative impact on the way we interact with the world through innovation, invention, and advancement.
Despite decades of systemic barriers in education, employment, and funding, Black technologists, inventors, and engineers have played key roles in shaping the systems we rely on every day. Some names are well known, but many remain absent from the history books. Juneteenth is an opportunity to bring those stories forward and give credit where it’s long been overdue. From the 1800s to the digital age, African Americans have helped build the infrastructure of modern life, often with limited access and even fewer resources.
Granville T. Woods, for example, made major contributions to the development of railway systems, communication networks, and electrical controls. Holding over 60 patents, Woods invented improvements that allowed trains to communicate while in motion, helping to make travel safer and more efficient. His work influenced how cities grew and how people connected across distances. Though he’s often overshadowed by other inventors of his time, his ideas laid the groundwork for systems that would later be refined and scaled globally.
Dr. Shirley Jackson stands out not just for her scientific research, but also for her leadership. She was the first African American woman to earn a doctorate from MIT in any field. After earning her Ph.D. in physics, she conducted research at Bell Laboratories in the areas of theoretical physics and particle interactions. While she does not personally claim credit for major telecommunications inventions, her scientific career and later service as head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make her a respected and influential figure in science and technology.
Mark Dean helped shape the computer as we know it today. As one of the lead engineers at IBM, he co-invented the ISA bus that made it possible to connect computers to external devices like printers and modems. He was also part of the team that developed the first color PC monitor. Dean holds multiple patents and helped push computing into the mainstream. His work made personal computers more functional, accessible, and useful to millions of people.
Today’s generation of Black technologists continues to innovate in fields like AI, cybersecurity, hardware engineering, app development, and more. Kimberly Bryant founded Black Girls Code to give young Black girls the tools and support to pursue tech careers. Her organization creates space for new voices, encourages creativity, and works to close the representation gap in STEM education. Her work highlights the fact that the tech world doesn't just benefit from diversity, it requires it to solve real-world problems.
The presence of African Americans in tech matters on every level. It’s about leadership, design, ethics, and usability. Algorithms aren’t neutral. They reflect the choices of those who build them. Data models can reinforce bias if the teams behind them lack diverse experiences and perspectives. Including more Black technologists in every stage of the development process leads to smarter, fairer, and more reliable tools.
Juneteenth is a time for reflection, but also for action. Companies can use this day to assess how they support Black employees, whether they fund diverse founders, and how inclusive their hiring and promotion practices really are. It’s also a moment to teach, learn, and acknowledge the contributions of African Americans to fields where their presence is often minimized or forgotten. When people know the history, they can understand how much richer the world becomes when more people get the chance to contribute.
The digital tools we use every day were shaped by hands of many backgrounds, including African Americans who worked without recognition, fought for access, and still found ways to leave their mark. Whether in hardware, software, education, or infrastructure, those contributions deserve more attention than they receive. Celebrating them on Juneteenth is a way of honoring the freedom that was promised and continuing the push toward equity and inclusion in every industry.
For young people interested in technology, representation can be powerful. Seeing someone who looks like you succeed in a space you hope to enter can make all the difference. Highlighting African American contributions to tech isn’t just about history. It’s about shaping the future, giving credit, and making sure doors stay open for the next generation.
Juneteenth reminds us that freedom must come with access, and access must come with support. The technology sector can honor that by being intentional about who it hires, how it promotes, and what it values. Inclusion is not just a buzzword. It’s a building block for a better future.
