January 1882

Lewis Howard Latimer, as chief draftsman and engineer for the U.S. Electric Lighting Company and later Edison, personally supervises the installation of electric street lighting in New York City, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London. He writes the first textbook on incandescent lighting, 'Incandescent Electric Lighting' (1890), and is the only Black member of Edison's elite 'Edison Pioneers' association.

Lewis Howard Latimer, son of escaped enslaved parents and a self-taught draftsman and inventor, patented an improved process for manufacturing carbon filaments in 1882, making incandescent bulbs longer-lasting and less expensive. He supervised installation of Edison's electric lighting systems in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London, and was the only Black member of Edison's elite engineering team, the Edison Pioneers.

George Washington Williams, a Civil War veteran, lawyer, and Ohio legislator, published 'History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880' in 1882 — the first comprehensive scholarly history of Black Americans. It drew on primary sources and archival research. Williams is also credited with coining the phrase 'crimes against humanity' in his 1890 letter documenting Belgian atrocities in the Congo.

Lewis Howard Latimer, son of escaped enslaved parents, patented an improved carbon filament process in 1882 making incandescent bulbs longer-lasting and cheaper. He supervised Edison lighting installations in New York, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London, and was the only Black member of Edison's elite engineering team, the Edison Pioneers.

George Washington Williams, a Civil War veteran, lawyer, and Ohio legislator, published 'History of the Negro Race in America from 1619 to 1880' in 1882, the first comprehensive scholarly history of Black Americans based on primary sources and archival research. He later coined 'crimes against humanity' in his 1890 letter documenting Belgian Congo atrocities.

Lewis Howard Latimer, draftsman and inventor, patented a process for manufacturing carbon filaments that made incandescent light bulbs practical and affordable. He also supervised the installation of electric lighting in major US and Canadian cities and authored the first textbook on electric lighting, making him a foundational figure in the electrification of America.