When February Meets March

I love when Black Women do Great things. Say hello to Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner.

Born: May 17, 1912, Monroe, North Carolina

Died: Jan. 13, 2006, Washington, D.C.

Best known for: filing the most patents of any African American woman, most notably, the development of the adjustable sanitary belt.

What is a sanitary belt?  It was a narrow belt, usually of elastic, for holding a sanitary napkin in place. It looked like elastic worn around your waist with two clips or holders in front & back. The ends of the pad were stuck into the holders. Pads didn't always stick to ladies' underwear. It amazes me how most of us are barely 1 or 2 generations away from using belts still haven't heard of them. As soon as the adhesive tape was introduced to sanitary pads, it was as if mothers gave up teaching about what they had to go through. 

I know about them because my mother had bought me one in preparation for the start of my menses. I have a feeling she bought those elastic things in bulk. I saw a box of them on her dresser a few years after I started. Muh Diva laughed so hard and explained. I remembered seeing some pads called Modess that didn't have the adhesive backing in our bathroom and it all made sense. That was the 1990s when I was told. Yes, do the math. It wasn't that long ago. Now I wonder if Muh Diva knows about Mary Kenner. 

I learned about Mary Kenner via a Facebook post I saw And because of the nature of social media & a lesson learned from the 90s movie, Players Club, "I don't trust anybody's information but my own", I had to verify. Glad, I did because the post was misleading.

Mary Kenner invented an adjustable sanitary belt with an inbuilt, moisture-proof napkin pocket. She completed the patent application in 1954. In 1956, her application was approved. The invention was described as an eliminator for chafing caused by similar devices. But the company that first showed interest in her invention, the Sonn-Nap-Pack Company, discovered that she was African American and rejected her. Kenner never made money from the sanitary belt. The patent expired and it became public domain, allowing it to be produced freely. She later invented a modification of the sanitary belt that included a "moisture-resistant pocket."

Between 1956 and 1987 she received five total patents for her household and personal item innovations. She had patented the carrier attachment for a walker in 1959 after her sister, Mildred Davidson developed multiple sclerosis.

She shared the patent on the toilet tissue holder with her sister, Mildred. She also held a patent on a back washer that could be mounted on the shower or bathtub wall, aka a backwash. That invention was patented in 1987 as Patent Number: 4696068.

Now, while mothers & grandmothers as a collective may not have taught us about sanitary belts. And they may have not known about Mary Kenner. It is up to us children & grandchildren to teach our past. That's what these History months are really about. The Past, Present, & Future have much to learn. Time to give diction about what White Male pens refuse to include. 

Happy February & March!!!

✊🏾❤👸🏾💚👩🏾‍🦱🖤👧🏽💛

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!