Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr.  (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) was an  African American inventor  and businessman as well as an influential political leader. His most notable inventions were the three position  traffic signal  and  smoke hood . Morgan also discovered and developed a chemical hair-processing and straightening solution. He created a successful company based on his hair product inventions along with a complete line of hair-care products.