Did you know Granville T. Woods, a Black inventor, created the induction telegraph in 1885, allowing moving trains and stations to communicate wirelessly and preventing deadly collisions?

But Thomas Edison, seeing its potential, claimed Woods had stolen the idea and took him to court in 1887 to try and take ownership of the invention. Woods fought back, proved he was the true inventor, and won the legal battle in 1888, securing his patents.

Because of his electrical and mechanical genius, Woods was called the “Black Edison”—not just because his work was groundbreaking but because white society often needed to compare Black brilliance to someone famous. But Woods outsmarted Edison and later declined a job offer from him, choosing to continue innovating independently.

Over his lifetime, he secured over 60 patents, including the automatic brake system, an improved electric railway system, the steam boiler furnace, and the third rail system still used in subways today.