101: How a Prolific Black Inventor Hid his Race

Garrett Morgan was a prolific inventor. He invented the gas mask. The three-way traffic light. The self-extinguishing cigarette. He even created a hair care line. But, as a Black man, he had to be creative in how he presented his inventions to the public. He knew that some people would refuse to buy his invention if they discovered that it had been invented by a Black man.

So? Sometimes he hired white actors to play the role of Garrett Morgan. Sometimes he posed as his own assistant. In short, he did what he had to do to get people to take his inventions seriously.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
“Overcoming discrimination by consumers during the age of segregation: The example of Garrett Morgan,” by Lisa D. Cook for Business History Review
“Guardian of the public safety: Garrett A. Morgan and the Lake Erie Crib Disaster” by William M King for the Journal of Negro History
“Garrett Morgan,” National Inventors Hall of Fame
“Garrett Morgan,” Encyclopedia.com
“Of courage and caution,” United States Patent and Trademark Office
“Black inventor Garrett Morgan saved countless lives with gas mask and improved traffic lights,” Scientific American
“Gas mask inventor dim memory here,” by Jim Strang for The Plain Dealer
“Wakeman Country Club” Green Book Cleveland
“Garrett Morgan,” Biography.com

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