You Should Know Their Names - Lewis Latimer

Do you know the name Lewis Latimer? Few men of science have a name as instantly recognizable as Thomas Edison, the inventor of technologies ranging from one of the first movie cameras to the light bulb. He’s remembered as one of the United States’ greatest inventors, but it’s possible that his work might not have been as great without the genius of a Black man.

His name was Lewis Latimer. He was the son of escaped slaves who managed to be behind some of the most important inventions of the nineteenth century. He worked alongside white men as their intellectual equal, in spite of having far less opportunities than them. Lewis was a self-taught and self-made Black man who always had the interests and needs of others at the front of his mind.

Creds Laura Babiak