Black History is Infinity ➰ If you’ve ever spoken into a phone, joined a video call, recorded a voice note, or used a digital assistant, you’ve interacted with the work of James Edward West. Nearly 90 percent of the microphones used today are based on his invention. Born in 1931 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, West would go on to fundamentally reshape how the world captures sound. In 1962, while working at Bell Laboratories, he and collaborator Gerhard Sessler developed the electret microphone—an electroacoustic transducer that was smaller, lighter, more accurate, and far more cost-effective than existing designs. This was not a marginal improvement. It was a structural shift. Because the electret microphone could be mass-produced without sacrificing performance, microphones could be embedded everywhere—telephones, computers, hearing aids, recording equipment, and eventually smartphones and voice-enabled systems. Modern communication, audio sensing, and voice-interface technologies are built on this foundation. West’s path to Bell Labs began humbly. He joined the company as an intern and became a full-time researcher in 1957 after graduating from Temple University. Over a 40-year career, he earned 47 U.S. patents and more than 200 international patents, contributing to one of the most influential eras of industrial research in modern history. His impact extended beyond invention. In the 1970s, West helped co-found the Association of Black Laboratories Employees (ABLE) at Bell Labs, advocating for equity inside elite research environments. That work helped catalyze programs such as the Cooperative Research Fellowship Program, which supported the completion of 170 PhDs for underrepresented scholars, and summer research initiatives that provided nearly 1,800 students with hands-on exposure to advanced scientific research. Today, West continues his work as a research professor at Johns Hopkins University, advancing acoustical science while shaping the next generation of engineers and innovators. ➰ From the sound of a human voice to the infrastructure of modern communication, James Edward West built something so essential it became invisible. 📍 Follow along this month as we continue honoring the builders, the breakthroughs, and what comes next.