Black History

Betty Harris: Inventor of Spot Test That Revolutionized Chemical Detection

Our accomplishments never cease to amaze me. Imagine being a scientist who can detect hidden chemicals with just a simple test. Here’s another hidden gem. Dr. Betty Harris is a brilliant scientist and inventor known for her work in chemistry. She was born on July 29, 1940, in Louisiana. From a young age, Betty was fascinated by science. She loved to learn how things worked and always asked lots of questions. Her passion for science led her to become a chemist.

Published

11 months ago

July 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Betty Harris

By Tamara Shiloh

Our accomplishments never cease to amaze me. Imagine being a scientist who can detect hidden chemicals with just a simple test. Here’s another hidden gem.

Dr. Betty Harris is a brilliant scientist and inventor known for her work in chemistry. She was born on July 29, 1940, in Louisiana. From a young age, Betty was fascinated by science. She loved to learn how things worked and always asked lots of questions. Her passion for science led her to become a chemist.

By 1961, aged just 19, she had graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge with a chemistry degree.

She did her research at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, where she worked in the areas of hazardous waste treatment and environmental remediation as well as explosives chemistry. Areas of focus included explosives detection, synthesis and characterization of insensitive high explosives and sensitivity of weathered high explosives.

Her invention, a spot test for TATB, represents a significant advancement in the detection of this crucial but stable explosive compound.

TATB stands for 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene. It’s a type of explosive that is very stable and safe to handle, making it important for various safety applications. TATB is used in explosives because it doesn’t explode easily under heat or shock, which means it’s safer to store and use.

Harris invented a special test called a “spot test” to detect TATB. Before her invention, finding TATB in materials was difficult and time-consuming. Her spot test made it quick and easy to detect this important chemical.

The spot test developed by Harris is a simple yet powerful method that involves a few straightforward steps. A small sample of the material in question is obtained. The sample is treated with a special chemical solution formulated by Harris. If TATB is present in the sample, the solution undergoes a color change, providing a clear and immediate indication of its presence.

Harris’s spot test is important for several reasons. The test helps ensure that explosives are safe to handle and store. By detecting TATB quickly, accidents can be prevented. It is easy to use and provides fast results, saving time and resources.

Inventions like Harris’s help science to progress by making it easier to work with important chemicals.

Her contributions extend beyond her scientific achievements. She is a passionate advocate for education and has been a mentor to countless young scientists, particularly encouraging girls and African American students to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

Her dedication to fostering the next generation of scientists has earned her numerous accolades and respect in the academic community.

Harris still lives in New Mexico.

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Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

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5 days ago

June 7, 2025

Oakland Post

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.