Black History Month provides the perfect opportunity to recognize innovators who shaped our electricity industry. These visionaries improved everyday life and advanced our nation’s growth, inspiring future pioneers to continue their legacy. From stoplights to rockets, light bulbs to legislation, these remarkable Americans have been instrumental in advancing technology and saving lives.
Pioneers of power
Lewis Latimer is best known for improving Thomas Edison’s light bulb by inventing a longer-lasting carbon filament in the 1870s. This made electric light more practical, affordable and accessible, enabling its widespread adoption. He wrote the first book on electric lighting and oversaw the installation of public lights worldwide, helping to shape modern electric lighting and the brighter world we live in today.
Granville T. Woods held more than 50 patents, many of which were related to electricity and railways. He invented a telegraph system that enabled communication between trains and stations, enhanced safety and prevented collisions. Woods also improved the third rail (still used to power electric trains) and developed the troller (a device that collects electricity from overhead wire), advancing electric transit systems including streetcars and trolleys.
Garrett Morgan’s groundbreaking inventions include the three-position traffic signal to improve public safety and a forerunner of the modern gas mask. After witnessing a crash between an automobile and a horse-drawn buggy, Morgan redesigned the stoplight, adding a third warning light, which was the predecessor of today’s amber caution light. He also invented a smoke hood for firefighters in response to a New York factory fire that killed 146 garment workers.
Powering progress
Annie Easley, a pioneering computer scientist hired by NASA in 1955, made significant contributions to rocket systems and energy technologies, and laid the foundation for hybrid vehicle batteries. One of only four black employees, her work as a human computer significantly impacted both space exploration and energy technology development.
Hazel O’Leary was the first woman and African American to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Energy. A champion of energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts, she secured funding for clean energy development, with many clean energy successes tracing back to her strategic plan. She also led the Ambassadors for Minorities in Energy Initiative, setting new standards for diversity and innovation in the energy sector.
Jessica O. Matthews invented SOCCKET, an energy-generating soccer ball, at age 19. Her discovery and genuine inquisitiveness led her to innovate new ways to generate power to meet the needs of communities worldwide. At 22, she founded Uncharted, a power solutions company focused on smart cities, climate resiliency and equitable infrastructure access. Appointed to the Electricity Advisory Committee in 2021, she advises the Department of Energy on modernizing the electric delivery system.
We celebrate these trailblazers and their invaluable contributions to energy advancements.