13 January, 2006
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner, an American inventor best known for her
adjustable sanitary belt and other household inventions, passed away at the age
of 93 in Washington, D.C. Her death marked the end of a life dedicated to
innovation, despite facing racial discrimination that hindered her commercial
success. Her legacy includes five patents, the most held by a Black woman at the
time of her death.