Judy W. Reed was an American alive during the 1880s, whose only record is known from a US patent. Reed, from Washington D.C., is considered the first African American woman to receive a US patent. The patent, registered for a "Dough Kneader and Roller", was an improved design of existing rollers, with dough mixing more evenly while being kept covered and protected. It is unknown if she was able to read, write, or even sign her name, as her patent is sighed with an "X", but patent no. 305,474 was granted September 23, 1884. Besides the patent registration, there are no other records of Reed or her life. There is a possibility that an earlier African-American woman received patent rights, but because there was no requirement to indicate race, and women often used only their initials to hide their gender, it is unknown. There is the also significance that during the time period, it was illegal for any slaves to be literate, and those found reading, writing or teaching others could be punished severely or killed.
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Source of article : Wikipedia
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