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Lonnie George Johnson | 28 Days of Black Excellence

February 3, 2021

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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

Each episode and blog post take $250 to create and produce. Consider sponsoring a day or even a week of these amazing entrepreneurs. Episodes will be included in the FREE online WITNESS Portal for teachers around the world. Sponsors will be named in the blog posts on the VocalEssence website. You are encouraged to sponsor in honor of a loved one or a beloved organization. Just add their name in the Dedication section of the donation form.

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Posted in: 28 Days of Black Excellence

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