Have you heard of her? Before Ms. Davidson Kenner's most famous invention, menstruators had to use rags and toilet paper as menstrual products! She created the precursor to maxi pads - the sanitary belt, which was not actually used by anyone until almost 30 years after she invented it!
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner
Born: May 17, 1912 (Monroe, NC)
Died: January 13, 2006 (Washington, D.C.)
from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mary-kenner-1912-2006/
Born: May 17, 1912 (Monroe, NC)
Died: January 13, 2006 (Washington, D.C.)
from https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mary-kenner-1912-2006/
For this black history month, as well as women's history month, I want to focus on Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner because she was a true pioneer and trailblazer for menstrual hygiene in a time when women, especially black women, were kept out of academic institutions as well as scientific conversations and discoveries. It was also a time when many women did not use tampons (which were available in the 1930's) because they were considered "indecent."
Mary's perseverance and determination with her inventions made her an instrumental force in creating something that has helped billions of menstruators worldwide for decades and led to the sanitary menstrual products that we still use today.
Mary began inventing at age six and continued to do so throughout her life, even after facing gender and racial discrimination as well as financial hardships. She wasn't the only inventor in her family, as her maternal grandfather, father, and younger sister also invented various devices. Her grandfather invented a tricolor light signal for trains, her father patented a pants presser in 1914, and her sister was a board game designer.
When she was six, she came up with an idea that would help her stay asleep in the mornings when her mother left for work - a self-oiling door hinge. The screen door squeaked so loud when her mother left early for work that it woke Mary up every time. She hurt her hands trying to invent the device and eventually gave up on it, but never forgot it. It was the idea that sparked many more.
Soon, Mary began drawing and building models for new devices. Some of them included a portable ashtray that could be attached to a cigarette packet and a sponge tip for umbrellas that would soak up all the rainwater that usually dripped on the floor upon being brought indoors. Her ideas were practical and geared toward solving everyday problems.
Though Mary graduated from high school in 1931 and began attending Howard University, she had to drop out because she could not afford tuition. This also meant that she would not be able to afford the high costs of filing patents for her inventions, so she had to take on odd jobs for a while. She became a federal employee in 1941 and in 1950, became a professional florist, owning her own flower shop well into the 1970's. She never stopped inventing devices in her spare time.
Mary created the idea for a sanitary belt when she was just 18 years old, but had to wait around 30 years to save the money to file a patent for it. Finally, in 1957, she had saved enough. It was her first patent. A common problem for menstruators who didn't use tampons was menstrual blood leaking onto their clothing. They often stayed home during their periods while using restrictive, unsanitary cloths and rags. Mary's sanitary belt ensured that the pads stayed in place and that there would be less leakage.
The belt included an adjustable elastic band and a built-in moisture-proof pocket for sanitary napkins. This design gave women the freedom to feel comfortable about leaving their homes without worrying about period leaks. Mary's sanitary belt led to the creation of the self-adhesive maxi pad in the 1960's.
Mary experienced significant setbacks due to her race and sex, and never received money from her ideas, but she was always proud of her contributions. There was a company that contacted her due to their interest in her sanitary belt idea, but they dropped out once a representative learned that she was African American. In Laura F. Jeffrey's book, Amazing American Inventors of the 20th Century, Mary said, "One day I was contacted by a company that expressed an interest in marketing my idea. I was so jubilant … I saw houses, cars and everything about to come my way...Sorry to say, when they found out I was black, their interest dropped.”
Mary experienced significant setbacks due to her race and sex, and never received money from her ideas, but she was always proud of her contributions. There was a company that contacted her due to their interest in her sanitary belt idea, but they dropped out once a representative learned that she was African American. In Laura F. Jeffrey's book, Amazing American Inventors of the 20th Century, Mary said, "One day I was contacted by a company that expressed an interest in marketing my idea. I was so jubilant … I saw houses, cars and everything about to come my way...Sorry to say, when they found out I was black, their interest dropped.”
Nevertheless, she persisted!
Mary's main motivation was to make life easier for people and she continued inventing for the rest of her life, undeterred by discrimination. When her sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Mary patented an attachment for her walker that included a pocket for carrying items and a hard tray in 1976. The siblings invented a toilet paper holder together that they patented in 1982.
Even as a menstrual education and hygiene activist, I hadn't heard of Mary until recently. This fact and her story is yet another example of the consistent erasure of the creativity, ingenuity, and historical achievements of Black women and people of color.
After beltless pads were invented and tampons slowly became more popular, people stopped using sanitary belts during the 1970's. Despite the short time sanitary belts were used, Mary's invention revolutionized menstrual hygiene.
With five patents total, Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner still holds the record for the greatest number of patents awarded a Black woman by the U.S. government.
Even as a menstrual education and hygiene activist, I hadn't heard of Mary until recently. This fact and her story is yet another example of the consistent erasure of the creativity, ingenuity, and historical achievements of Black women and people of color.
After beltless pads were invented and tampons slowly became more popular, people stopped using sanitary belts during the 1970's. Despite the short time sanitary belts were used, Mary's invention revolutionized menstrual hygiene.
With five patents total, Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner still holds the record for the greatest number of patents awarded a Black woman by the U.S. government.
“Every person is born with a creative mind. Everyone has that ability.”
~Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner
Sources
https://wnba-nyc.org/kick-ass-women-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner/
https://goodblacknews.org/2020/02/05/bhm-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-the-forgotten-inventor-who-revolutionized-menstrual-pads/
https://files.nc.gov/dncr-moh/African%20American%20Brilliance.pdf
https://prochoicemissouri.org/2020/02/24/pioneering-black-inventor-radically-changed-menstrual-pad/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/mb5yap/mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-sanitary-belt
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mary-kenner-1912-2006/
https://blackdoctor.org/mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-the-forgotten-inventor-who-changed-womens-health-forever/
https://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=162593&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=420311&PageID=85333
http://www.thewinlab.org/blog/2018/3/12/womens-history-month-featuring-founder-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner
https://www.diversityinc.com/womens-history-month-profiles-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-inventor/
https://goodblacknews.org/2020/02/05/bhm-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-the-forgotten-inventor-who-revolutionized-menstrual-pads/
https://files.nc.gov/dncr-moh/African%20American%20Brilliance.pdf
https://prochoicemissouri.org/2020/02/24/pioneering-black-inventor-radically-changed-menstrual-pad/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/mb5yap/mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-sanitary-belt
https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/mary-kenner-1912-2006/
https://blackdoctor.org/mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-the-forgotten-inventor-who-changed-womens-health-forever/
https://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=162593&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=420311&PageID=85333
http://www.thewinlab.org/blog/2018/3/12/womens-history-month-featuring-founder-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner
https://www.diversityinc.com/womens-history-month-profiles-mary-beatrice-davidson-kenner-inventor/