BLACK GAMING PIONEER: Ed Smith the Imagination Machine

Posted by Nd Tech on 14th Nov 2024

BLACK GAMING PIONEER: Ed Smith the Imagination Machine

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Ed Smith And The Imagination Machine: The Untold Story Of A Black Video Game Pioneer

African-American engineer EDWARD LEE SMITH (69) created "The Imagination Machine" gaming computer, which debuted at the 1979 Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago.

Smith, who was raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York, was only the second known black engineer -- after Fairchild Channel F creator JERRY LAWSON (70) -- in the history of video games. The Imagination Machine was marketed as a competitor to the Apple II and Mattel's Intellivision console. 

Source: Fast Company

Related: JERRY LAWSON: Black Man Developed First Video Game Cartridge