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A local pastor has received a patent for her newest invention and hopes to bring it into stores throughout Lowndes County and further beyond. 

Celeste Crenshaw, a pastor for Radical Anointing Baptist Church, has worn many hats throughout her life; pastor, author, singer-songwriter and inventor, to name a few. 

“I think I’m the first black female that was born in the state of Alabama to be patented,” Crenshaw said. “There was a lady that was in Huntsville, she was the first to be patented – the first black female to be patented, but she was in Huntsville, and she was born, I think, upstate from where she moved here.” 

Crenshaw’s latest invention aims to help with some of the annoyances of food transportation, specifically problems that arise from Styrofoam food containers. Her food bag will have sections molded out at the bottom of the bag, allowing the Styrofoam container to comfortably sit at the bottom of the bag, reducing the amount of tossing, turning and spillage of its contents. 

“I bought some food one day while I was at work, and by the time I got my food and got back to my office, my bag was wet with juices and my clothes had juices all over it from the bag, The tray was sitting sideways and all of the juice from the peas and the greens and stuff had run all into the bag,” Crenshaw said. “I was frustrated, and I said, ‘Why doesn’t somebody make a bag that would fit?’ and then the Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘Why don’t you do it?’”

After working on the design and pitch for a few years, Crenshaw submitted an application for a patent with the help of her board of trustees in 2023. She was approved for a design patent from the United States Trade and Patent Office in February. Now, Crenshaw and her board are working alongside manufacturers like Hangzhou Initi Import & Export Co. LTD to bring her design to life. 

“It was a great idea, and it was something I really wanted to be a part of,” said Monica Lacy, the treasurer on Crenshaw’s patent board. “I thought it was a brilliant idea that God gave her, and it is something that was needed in the community, needed all over the world.”

Crenshaw’s bag has already been picked up by stores like Walmart.com, where she and her company, C’Nice Enterprises, will sell the bag as a Walmart.com marketplace seller. 

Right now, Crenshaw’s goal is to have the bags ready for sale by Thanksgiving, where they can be used to transport food to and from the holiday dinner.