SARAH BOONE (1832-1904) was an Inventor and became one of the first African Americans to receive a patent. She acquired her patent on April 26, 1892, for her ironing board improvements that consisted of a wooden board with collapsible legs that made ironing clothes neatly possible. She was inspired to make this invention because, as a dressmaker, she had difficulty ironing the bodies of women’s garments and sleeves, using a table or a plank between two chairs that was the normal practice.
