Lewis Latimer was an African American inventor and patent draftsman who held several patents, including the lightbulb and the telephone. We all know Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb, but the bulb was not yet of practical use and it only lasted a few days. It was Latimer who patented the idea of using carbon filament in 1881 to achieve the right level of brightness and long life for the bulb, which made it practical for everyday use.