8199: Black Friday Black Inventors.

If Black Friday were a Black holiday, advertisers would undoubtedly produce patronizing messages saluting two Black inventors whose contributions made the shopping day a success.


Benjamin Banneker is credited with inventing the first clock to be made in America. Without Banneker’s device, citizens would never have been able to wake up in time for the 3am store openings.


Garrett A. Morgan invented the traffic signal, which kept drivers safe and organized while they madly sped to big-box department stores. Additionally, Garrett created the gas mask, which riot squads could have used if Christmas crowds became unruly.