African American women who have had an impact on technology Shirley Ann Jackson played a vital role in advancements in touch-tone phones, portable fax machines, and fiber optic cables that ensure crystal-clear long-distance phone calls, her work contributed to those innovations . Jackson's parents supported her in her curiosity by helping her build things and come up with experiments. The 1950s space race heightened Jackson's interest in science and technology. Because she was underrepresented Shirley Ann Jackson didn't let that deter her she went along to become the first African-American woman to hold a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in theoretical elementary particle physics, as well as the first to hold a doctorate from MIT in any subject. She is also the second woman of African descent in the country to receive a doctorate in physics. Mrs. Shirley Ann