Cool Shit Black People Invented: Joseph Richard Winters

A few years ago I started doing these Cool Shit Black People Invented blogs to point out the amount of stuff that wasn't being taught in school during Black History Month aka 28 Days Of A White Teacher Telling A Room Full Of Black Kids How People That Looked Like Her Beat The Hell Out Of Them. In school as far as I knew Black people made peanut butter, the cotton gin, and somehow built a train that ran underground that helped Black folks escape. So allow me to shed some light on other things Black people created.

Fire bad. I think we all learned that at one point in our childhood. If not, let me be the first to tell you: fire hurts. Thankfully Joseph Richard Winters created the escape ladder that attaches to windows so that we can attempt to get out of burning buildings because, like I said, fire bad. He received the patent for this ladder in 1882 which means for thousands of years people just stood at flaming windows wondering why they slept with the candle on their chest. 

Not sure if this is an escape or a kidnapping...

He also received the patent for the fire ladder that was attached to fire wagons but made of metal and parallel because before then the only advice firemen could give you was “Jump!” Before that they were made of wood which is like trying to put someone who is on fire out with gasoline or smothering flames with matches.

Winters born in Leesburg, Virginia and is the son of an Black father and Native American woman which explains the fierce hair. Winters worked as a farmer and hunter but because he didn't think he was being awesome enough he began writing songs and poetry. Later he was active in the Underground Railroad because what's the point of being amazing if you don't help free some slaves while you're at it? The next time you have to climb out the window because your sister can't help but splash bacon grease thank this guy for creating your escape route. I won't though. My building doesn't have an a escape ladder.

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