Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

If you’ve ever checked your phone to see who’s at your door, thank Black people for helping make it possible!

In the 1960s, nurse Marie Van Brittan Brown created the first home security system so she could feel safer at a time when police response in Black neighborhoods was slow and unreliable. Her husband, an electronics technician helped her create a unique system with cameras, two-way audio, remote door access, and an emergency alarm. The invention became the blueprint for the video doorbells and home security systems we rely on today.

The Browns’ innovation didn’t just protect their family. It changed how we protect our homes. Black partnership and collaboration literally saving lives.

If it weren’t for us, the world would be a lot different.

🎥 @haniyxh | Producer: @realkizzycox_

#BlackHistoryMonth #IfItWerentForUs ✊🏿

Connect with theGrio
Subscribe: youtube.com/c/thegrio
Instagram: instagram.com/theGrio
Facebook: Facebook.com/theGrio
Twitter: Twitter.com/theGrio
Website: theGrio.com