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Marie Van Brittan Brown Introduction:

Today, research shows that over 39 million U.S. households are protected by some type of at-home security system.[1] Until the use of a button allowed people to see and speak to strangers outside their doors, individuals had no safe means of checking who was knocking. This is the problem Marie Van Brittan Brown often found herself in after arriving home late due to her career as a nurse, where she worked late and sporadic hours. Her husband, Albert Brown worked as an electronics technician, taking him away from the home and often leaving Marie alone at night. Due to the couple residing in Jamaica, Queen's, New York, an area with a high crime rate and historically slow police response to a predominantly black and poor neighborhood, Marie and Albert were inspired to develop the first home security system. Their efforts comprised lasting effects that laid the groundwork for the advancements of modern-day security systems and a variety of additional technological inventions.

Early Life & Education:

On October 30th, 1922, Marie Van Brittan Brown was born as an only child, to parents Albert and Annie Van Brittan, in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Her father Albert was originally from Massachusetts and her mother Annie was from Pennsylvania, prior to moving to 151–158 & 135th Avenue in Queens, an area that experienced a surge in drug culture that led to soaring crime rates.[2] Marie attended school at Harrison College, University of Phoenix, and DeVry University and began her career as a nurse, where she worked long and late hours. In addition to Marie and Albert Brown's marriage, the couple had two children, a son, Albert Jr., and a daughter, Norma.[3]

Pain Points:

A pain point is defined as something that is a recurring source of trouble, annoyance, or distress.[4] In Marie Van Brittan Brown's case, the concern for her safety was one of several initial pain points that inspired her to create the first at-home security system. As a result of living in an area with high crime rates, she was concerned for her safety, especially when her husband was often taken away from home at night due to his work. Thinking of other women who might be in the same situation, Marie was inspired to move forward with her design to create peace of mind for all the individuals who may fear for their safety. An additional pain point Marie experienced was the slow police response time. In this case of an emergency, she knew she could not rely on law enforcement in the area for several reasons, including their historically proven track record of ignoring calls for help, directly or indirectly, from marginalized communities.

Invention:

In 1966, with the help of her husband Albert Brown, Marie began prototyping the first at-home security system. The system consisted of four peepholes, a sliding camera connected to a television monitor located in their home, along with a two-way microphone in order to have conversations without the need to open the door. By far one of the most important safety features of the system included an emergency button that, with a single touch, would send an alert to the police to warn of danger.[5] In 1966, Marie and her husband patented the system under the name: Home Security System Utilizing Telvision Survelliance. Features that Marie incorporated into the first at-home security system such as the camera, the peepholes, the emergency bottom, and most notably the two-way microphone are still so relevant and commonly found features in homes today. While much of her innovation remains impactful on society, it is also clear that brands have expanded and transformed it. An example is the Ring Doorbell Camera, founded by James Siminoff, which incorporates many of Marie's essential elements with modern-day technology.

Conclusion:

The fundamentally ground-breaking work of Marie Van Brittan Brown enabled a variety of innovators to emerge. Even though it is true that Marie Van Brittan Brown does have a Wikipedia page, it is relatively short, which reflects a broader issue of women, especially minority women, not receiving recognition for their unconventional and brilliant contributions. Today, her invention has expanded the security market and is valued at over $47.5 billion.[6]

References: [2]  Untold. Marie Van Brittain Brown. (2020). Makematic.

[3] Hill, Rebbaca. (2023, January 9). Marie van Brittan Brown (1922-1999). Black Past.

[4] Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Pain point. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 15, 2024.

[5] Cabrera, C. E., & Jacobs, J. (2019, February 25). Seven Black Inventors Whose Patents Helped Shape American Life. New York Times, NA(L).

[6] Boyd, H. (2019, March 14). CCTV inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown. New York Amsterdam News.