During Black History Month, We Remember Granville Woods

They called him "the Black Thomas Edison," and without him, the motive power of our subways wouldn't exist. Granville T. Woods's "power pick up device," patented in 1901, was the forerunner of today's contact shoe, that delivers current from the electrified third rail to each subway car. Other inventions such as the multiplex telegraph (1887) allowed train crews to communicate by voice over telegraph wires, helping to prevent accidents.

TWU Local 100 Interim President John V. Chiarello said of Woods: "The men and women of TWU Local100 owe a great debt to this inventor and engineer. Growing up at a time when most Black children never received formal education, he was able to compete with the likes of Thomas Edison and register over 60 patents. He blazed a trail and set an example for Black transit workers."

The video on Woods was produced by CBS News.