Today’s Black Fact:
Sara Goode
Sara E Goode was an entrepreneur and inventor. She was the very first African American woman to receive a United States patent. Born in 1850, Goode was a slave. When the American Civil War ended she moved to Chicago, Illinois and opened a furniture store. Goode designed the cabinet bed or “fold away bed” which became the predecessor to the hide-away bed. This bed was inclusive of hinges that one could elevate or lower. Remarkably, this invention could also conveniently be used as a roll top desk. While functioning as a desk, the fold away bed included compartments for storing away stationery and writing utensils. Thus, residents could now have space for a bed and desk despite the limited living square footage of their apartments. The “Murphy bed” as we know it today would become the contemporary design of Goode’s invention. When the bed was folded up, it looked like a desk. The desk was fully functional, with spaces for storage. She received a patent for it on July 14, 1885.
