14 Lesser-Known Black Americans Who Changed Our Country For the Better

Born in Kentucky, Garrett Morgan is credited with several inventions, including a hair-straightening chemical (initially a sewing needle lubricant) and a safety hood for firefighters that filtered smoke and helped them breathe. He eventually adapted this hood into a gas mask, which was used in World War I. Morgan also invented a traffic light, which, although it wasn't technically the first, improved on previous models by featuring a third, intermediary signal.