Today marks the third day of 28 Days of Black Excellence created by VocalEssence Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III. Phillip highlights the work of Lonnie George Johnson (1949-), NASA engineer and inventor of the Super Soaker. His musical inspiration comes from “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands.”
Book Recommendations
- He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands by Kadir Nelson
- Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton
- Helen Quigless, Childhood Scenes in Four Seasons, IV. Winter
Lonnie George Johnson (1949-)
Notable Achievements: This engineer developed this mega water gun in his free time while working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. And once the toy, dubbed the Super Soaker, hit shelves in 1990 its popularity skyrocketed. In 2017, Forbes reported that it had earned over $1 billion in retail sales.
Learn More
- http://lonniejohnson.com/
- https://www.biography.com/inventor/lonnie-g-johnson
- https://thinkgrowth.org/14-black-inventors-you-probably-didnt-know-about-3c0702cc63d2
Sponsor Thank You
This episode of 28 Days of Black Excellence was sponsored by Mary Lach in honor of Phillip Shoultz’s contributions to Good Samaritan UMC in Edina.
Sponsor Black Excellence
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