Black Invention Myths Exposed - Volume One - Garrett A. Morgan and his Traffic Signal

Perhaps you've heard the claims: Were it not for the genius and energy of African-American inventors, we might find ourselves in a world without traffic lights, peanut butter, blood banks, light bulb filaments, and a vast number of other things we now take for granted but could hardly imagine life without.

Such beliefs usually originate in books or articles about black history. Since many of the authors have little interest in the history of technology outside of advertising black contributions to it, their stories tend to be fraught with misunderstandings, wishful thinking, or fanciful embellishments with no historical basis. The lack of historical perspective leads to extravagant overestimations of originality and importance: sometimes a slightly modified version of a pre-existing piece of technology is mistaken for the first invention of its type; sometimes a patent or innovation with little or no lasting value is portrayed as a major advance, even if there's no real evidence it was ever used.

Unfortunately, some of the errors and exaggerations have acquired an illusion of credibility by repetition in mainstream outlets, especially during Black History Month (see examples for the traffic light and ironing board). When myths go unchallenged for too long, they begin to eclipse the truth. Thus I decided to put some records straight. Although this page does not cover every dubious invention claim floating around out there, it should at least serve as a warning never to take any such claim for granted.

Each item in the series is presented with its supposed black originator beneath it along with the year it was supposedly invented, followed by something about the real origin of the invention or at least an earlier instance of it.

These videos are in no way meant to degrade the African American people or their culture. It serves only to present the facts, and bring to light the mass propagation of false information among those who chose to segregate themselves because of their own color. We as a human race have much to be proud of, and it is the advancements of mankind, not the advancements of a color of man, which should be the focus. Be not proud of a false history!

Category:

Education

Tags:

• African
• American
• Innovation
• Invention
• Myth

[A86]

@Ultranothing - Look at the one I provided earlier. I can also provide more if you want.

[Ultranothing]

@A86 "whites are still paid more for the same jobs than everyone else and have an easier time getting credit or loans for higher-end housing and middle class jobs with a high school diploma or Bachelor's Degree. A higher number of minorities need Master's Degrees to be middle class."

It just wouldn't be fair to me if I didn't ask you, "According to what source?"

[A86]

@Ultranothing - "Is there some racism going on there"

There's no way for me to know since I don't know what the applications of the applicants look like, what demographics of people apply there and what the employer(s) are like. That's part of why de facto discrimination is harder to crack down on than de jure discrimination - it's difficult to trace. You're trying to ascertain things that you may never fully prove unless you get into the employer's head or catch them on tape admitting things.

[A86]

@Ultranothing - And that's a problem neither the Republicans nor the Democrats have made much serious effort in trying to address. The Republicans just pretend it's not happening and the Democrats just put a band-aid on the problem back in the 70s and called it a day.

[A86]

@Ultranothing - "should be terminated"

I agree, but unfortunately right that's the only existing counter-actor to pro-white discrimination that goes on in schooling, hiring and housing. Even with things like AA in place whites are still paid more for the same jobs than everyone else and have an easier time getting credit or loans for higher-end housing and middle class jobs with a high school diploma or Bachelor's Degree. A higher number of minorities need Master's Degrees to be middle class.

[Ultranothing]

@A86 You know something? I just realized that at my job, there are NO black people working there. There are 36 employees. Mostly all are middle-aged and white. Is there some racism going on there?

[Ultranothing]

@A86 I believe that any regulation, rule, enforcement practice or other aspect of any program that mandates, encourages, or otherwise involves the use of quotas, preferences, set-asides or other devices on the basis of race, sex, religion or national origin should be terminated as soon as is legally feasible.

[A86]

@Ultranothing - They've also shown that applicants with "black-sounding" names or voices over the phone are only about 40-50% as likely as people with "white-sounding" names or voices to get a call back for an interview.

"But how would it be enforced?"

There would need to be federal and independent investigation into things I mentioned studies have noticed. Like applicants with names like "Dakota Phelps" with identical qualifications being preferred over ones with names like "Tamika Jackson".

[A86]

@Ultranothing - "but it's not the EXCLUSION of minorities in employment positions"

Did you even read the article? Several studies conducted over the past 25 years or so has shown that minorities are usually paid less than whites for the same jobs and a black man with a college degree only has the same employment opportunities as a white man a high school diploma (and about the same income usually). Sometimes only the same opportunities of a white man with a felony on his record.

[A86]

@Ultranothing - In History class you spend a lot more time learning about the Confederates, their history and their motivation when learning about the Civil War than you do about black History. During February they may just have some morning announcements where you hear tidbits about MLK and Malcolm X or spend a chapter reading about black American history from 1865 to 1968 (with little before or after).

I agree that histories of different ethnicities should be taught alongside each other.