At 6’ 6” and 280 pounds, Jerry Lawson — a Black man — was extremely far from the stereotypical image of an engineer and inventor in 1970s America, or even today. But then, nothing about Jerry’s life was stereotypical.
Black inventor and self-taught engineer Gerald “Jerry” Lawson was one of the few Black engineers of his time; yet, he was almost left out of the tome of gaming history. With his work on the Fairchild Channel F Console, Jerry was the first to innovate the use of interchangeable cartridges in consumer gaming consoles, changing the landscape of the gaming industry as we know it. In 2018, the gaming industry’s estimated worth was $138 billion and is built on the backbone of consumer flexibility: being able to play multiple games comfortably in your home or on the go. None of this modern-day success would have been possible if it wasn’t for Jerry Lawson; but, let’s start at the beginning.
Source: IGN.com The Black Man Who Revolutionized Gaming as We Know It