Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club
Episode: IDKMYDE: Traffic Lights Started With a Disaster
Date: February 3, 2026
Host: B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025
Produced by: The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
In this compelling episode of I Didn't Know, Maybe You Didn't Either, host B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 unpacks the little-known, dramatic, and often tragic origin story behind modern traffic lights. The focus is on Black inventor Garrett Morgan, whose brilliance saved lives but whose contributions went unrecognized—victimized by racism and erasure. Using vivid storytelling, the episode explores Morgan's innovations, the disasters that spurred them, and the injustices he faced.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Three "Useless" Facts That Aren't Useless at All
[00:35 – 01:41]
- Host launches with three surprising historical facts:
- Garrett Morgan had to hire a white actor to sell his invention because buyers wouldn't purchase from a Black inventor.
- Morgan bravely saved lives in a toxic gas disaster under Lake Erie—the infamous 1916 Cleveland Waterworks Tunnel explosion.
- Four white men were honored with Carnegie Hero medals for the rescue, but Morgan was denied recognition.
Quote:
"Four white men received Carnegie hero medals for the aforementioned rescue. But [Garrett Morgan] was denied. Do you know why? Cause I didn't know."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [01:33]
2. The Chaos That Preceded Traffic Lights
[01:52 – 02:00]
- Traffic lights are shown not as boring fixtures, but as innovations born from chaos and disaster.
Quote:
"We think of [traffic lights] as boring, neutral. Always-been-there infrastructure. But traffic lights didn't start with order. They started with chaos."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [01:52]
3. Garrett Morgan’s Invention and Marketing Struggles
[02:00 – 02:52]
- 1914: Morgan invents the "safety hood"—the prototype for the modern gas mask.
- Because of systemic racism, buyers snub him.
- Morgan hires a white frontman and, in one legendary demonstration, disguises himself as "Big Chief Mason," walks into a smoke-filled tent, and stuns crowds by surviving—proving his hood’s effectiveness.
Details:
- The act of disguise and performance was both a necessity and a sharp commentary on racism in early 20th-century America.
4. The 1916 Cleveland Waterworks Tunnel Disaster
[02:52 – 04:37]
- Amid a deadly tunnel explosion under Lake Erie, Morgan and his brother are called in at 4am to rescue trapped workers using his safety hoods.
- While all-white rescue teams perish, Morgan's device saves lives.
- Despite heroic actions, Morgan is denied the Carnegie Hero medal. The fund claims his use of the hood reduced his "extraordinary risk," negating his eligibility. Racist attitudes deepen when his identity as a Black inventor becomes public, causing sales to plummet.
Quote:
"Garrett Morgan saved more people than any other rescuer that night. Now let me tell you where it gets ugly. Cause four white men received Carnegie hero medals. Garrett Morgan was denied. Why?"
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [04:12]
"His own invention was used against him. But wait, it gets worse. Once the word spread that the safety hood’s inventor was Black, sales dried up like salt on a slug."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [04:20]
5. The Birth of the Modern Traffic Light
[04:37 – 05:17]
- In 1923, inspired by witnessing a horrific car accident, Morgan invents the three-position traffic signal.
- Before Morgan: traffic lights had only two settings—Stop and Go.
- Morgan adds the all-stop position (the yellow light)—establishing the template for global traffic control.
- Sells his patent to General Electric for $40,000.
6. Legacy and (Late) Recognition
[05:17 – 05:32]
- Cleveland doesn’t name a building after Morgan until 1991, nearly three decades after his death.
- In 2016, at the centennial of the tunnel disaster, Morgan’s family and victims’ descendants meet for the first time; his daughter Sandra is brought to tears.
Quote:
"Traffic lights didn't start with convenience. They started with a man who walked into death to save strangers, then got erased for doing it. And I didn’t know. Maybe you didn’t either."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [05:31]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "Garrett did something wild. He hired a white man to act like he was the inventor. And then Morgan disguised himself, some accounts say as Big Chief Mason from a Canadian Indian tribe."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [02:18] - "[The Carnegie Hero Fund] said that Morgan had the aid of his safety hood. Meaning he wasn’t at the same extraordinary risk as the others. His own invention was used against him."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [04:15] - "That pause where nobody moves, that yellow light—at Garrett Morgan, that moment became the foundation of modern traffic safety."
– B.WSSU Mr. Alumni2025 [04:57]
Major Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:35] – Introduction of three historical facts about Morgan
- [01:52] – Reframing traffic lights as solutions born of chaos
- [02:00] – Details about the “safety hood” and racial barriers
- [02:52] – Cleveland Tunnel Disaster and Morgan's role
- [04:37] – Morgan’s invention of the modern three-position traffic light
- [05:17] – Details on posthumous recognition and family reunion
- [05:31] – Emotional episode conclusion
Tone and Style
The episode blends sharp humor, indignation, and reverence—a conversational storytelling style packed with cultural reference and righteous anger at historical injustice. The host’s language is lively, direct, and frequently pointed, in keeping with The Breakfast Club’s signature vibe.
This episode vividly exposes a hidden origin story of American infrastructure, spotlighting how one brilliant Black inventor shaped the world while facing erasure. It’s a must-listen for anyone fascinated by untold stories and the ongoing fight for recognition.