Little Known Black History Fact – Black America 250: March 4, 1877 marked the birth of Garrett Morgan, the prolific inventor, known for his creation of an improved traffic signal. 

Garrett Morgan, called himself or was dubbed, “The Black Edison.” During his career, Mr. Morgan patented an improved sewing machine design and created a hair-straightening product. His breathing device, known as a “safety hood,” was the blueprint for the gas mask used in World War I. In 1923, after witnessing a carriage accident at a Cleveland, Ohio intersection, he created a new traffic signal. It included a warning light to alert drivers they would need to stop.

(READ MORE)