Bessie Blount Griffin was a Virginia-born physical therapist who spent time caring for World War II veterans, helping them use their teeth and feet in place of the hands that they lost in combat. In Griffin invented a device that would help amputees feed themselves and give them an increased sense of self-confidence.
Blount's invention consisted of an electronic tube that delivered small bites of food to a patient at their own pace; it allowed the patient to bite down on the tube for another serving, which would be delivered via a mouthpiece attached to a machine. If you can believe it, the American Veterans Administration declined Blount's invention (despite the fact that it would, you know, make it easier for people to eat), so instead, she donated the rights to the French government. Blount took pride in the fact that her feeding machine proved "that a black woman can invent something for the benefit of humankind."