Kids Black History. Who created the lightbulb? School will tell you Thomas Edison, however in this episode of KidsBlackHistory we teach you that a black man, Lewis Latimer played a pivotal role in the invention of the light bulb. The lights we use today are based on the hard work that Lewis Latimer put in to improve Thomas Edison’s light bulb. Watch this video to learn exactly what Lewis Latimer invented. He was a man of many talents who created the lightbulb and so much more!