“Telling the Untold” - Mary Van Brittan Brown

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - From inventors to award winners and those who’ve made groundbreaking changes in society, Black Americans continue shaping this country.

For Black History Month, 10/11 NOW’s Kamri Sylve sheds light on achievements these Black Americans have made, taking Black history beyond just one month, with our series “Telling the Untold.”

Every 13 seconds, a home burglary takes place. That’s four burglaries a minute and nearly 6,000 a day, but thanks to Black inventor Mary Van Brittan Brown, home security systems try to prevent break-ins from happening.

After spending many nights alone at home in Queens, New York, Brown felt unsafe with crime rates extremely high and police officers back then, not always responding to calls in her neighborhood.

In 1966, Brown invented the first security system, using a camera that slides into and looks through peepholes in the door with a front view popping up on a monitor.

She later added other features like a microphone and a button to unlock the door.

Brown and her husband were awarded a patent for the system three years later in 1969.

Brown was born on October 22, 1922 and died on February 2, 1999 at age 76.

So, if you have modern security systems like maybe a Ring doorbell at your front door, you ought to give a bit of credit to Mary Van Brittan Brown for helping to keep you and your loved ones safe.

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