He was born in 1877 in Paris, Kentucky, the son of formerly enslaved parents. His formal education ended early, but his learning did not. As a young man, he moved north and eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked as a sewing machine repairman. Watching machines fail and fixing them taught him how systems worked and how they could be improved.

Now here’s something you may not know.

Before the safety hood and the traffic signal, Garrett Morgan developed an early chemical hair refining cream that loosened curl patterns and funded his manufacturing company. The discovery reportedly began while he was working with sewing machine lubricants and noticed how a chemical solution altered fabric fibers. Curious and observant, he experimented further — first testing a diluted version on a dog’s hair before refining it for human use. The results were dramatic enough to build a thriving business. It became part of a broader wave of Black innovation in the early 20th century that included pioneering women entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.

His more recognized contributions came from witnessing people placed in danger without protection.

He ivented a safety hood in 1912, an early form of the modern gas mask  and demonstrated its effectiveness during the 1916 Lake Erie tunnel explosion, helping rescue trapped workers.  His safety hood influenced firefighter equipment and later military safety gear .

Most notably, he invented an improved traffic signal in 1923 after witnessing a severe automobile accident. He added a caution phase between stop and go, reducing collisions. He then sold the traffic signal patent to General Electric.

Sadly, he faced racial barriers when marketing inventions and sometimes was forced to use white actors for demonstrations.

Garrett Morgan did not invent for applause. 
He invented because danger was preventable and someone had to act.  He built solutions so essential they became invisible 

SCRIPTURE THREAD

“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” — Proverbs 2:11 

Garrett Morgan’s wisdom became protection. His understanding became guardrails long before the world learned to credit him.

CARRY THIS WITH YOU

What risk have you noticed that others have learned to tolerate? Morgan reminds us that calling does not always arrive as a dream. It often arrives as a problem you refuse to ignore.

BREADCRUMB

Sometimes the work God gives you is not to be seen, but to quietly make the way safer.

SALUTE

We see you, Garrett Morgan — for building protection where none existed. 

Bread Crumbs — for those coming after us. 
Victorious without reward. Still here.