101: How a Prolific Black Inventor Hid his Race

An Old Timey Podcast

True Crime, Comedy, History

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2026

⏱️ 84 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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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Transcript

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0:00.0	If you're fascinated by true crime, then join us in October 26 for CrimeCon
0:05.2	London. Meet the biggest names in True Crime TV, experience live forensic demonstrations
0:10.4	and dive deep into the criminal mind with your favourite authors, experts, podcasters and content creators.
0:17.4	To secure your place, go to crimecon.com.com.uk now and be part of the UK's biggest true crime community.
0:24.2	CrimeCon London, partnered by True Crime Channel 3rd and 4th of October, 2026.
0:31.5	Hear ye! You are listening to an old-timey podcast. I'm Kristen Caruso.
0:38.6	And I'm Normie C.
0:39.8	And on this episode, I'll be talking about an inventor.
0:43.6	Ooh, fun.
0:45.2	Everyone, I did a little flourish, a little flair, because inventing things is cool.
0:50.6	I like inventors.
0:51.7	I do, too.
0:52.6	Yeah.
0:52.9	Remember that windshield wiper guy? Yeah, he had a rough go of it. He had. I do too. Yeah. Remember that windshield wiper guy?
0:54.8	Yeah, he had a rough go of it.
0:56.6	He had a real rough go.
0:58.2	A little kooky, but really interesting story.
1:01.4	Listen, if I invented something that changed the way we drive and then I didn't get the money for it, I'd go cocoa bananas too.
1:11.5	Oh, that's fair.
1:12.3	It's a good thing.
1:13.0	I'm not good at science or math or anything that, you know, really changes the tides, you know.
1:18.7	You don't think you would ever invent something?
	...

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