When Charles Harrison first applied to work as a designer at Sears in the 1950s, he was rejected.
It wasn’t because he didn’t have the skill. His talent was obvious.
So obvious that even after a rule against hiring Black employees cost Harrison his job offer at Sears, the hiring manager took him on as a freelance designer, feeding him projects under the company’s radar.
Harrison never stopped defying the prejudice of segregation-era America.
He would go on to become Sears’ first Black design lead, hatching the concepts for more than 750 consumer products, including the iconic View-Master toy.
It was that drive to find and perfect his talent that Harrison imparted as a mentor to Joeffrey Trimmingham.
On Monday, Trimmingham and seven other Black inventors passed that message to Albright College students during the Reading leg of the Black Inventors Got Game nationwide tour.
The tour was organized by James Howard, holder of 19 patents and designer of more than 400 products for companies such as Crayola and Johnson & Johnson.
The speaking portion of the event — which organizers said was intended to cap off Black History Month — featured inventors of popular toys and games addressing a crowd of about 40 students.
Following a brief introduction, the event featured a question-and-answer session for students to question the inventors.
Traci Cheek, a senior at Albright, asked whether any of the inventors felt their skin color held them back in the industry.
Al White, CFO for Lonnie Johnson — inventor of the Super Soaker — said prejudice in the 1980s was likely part of the reason it took 10 years for the Super Soaker project to be funded.
But he said the situation today is different.
“It’s the reverse today,” he said. “There are a lot of people looking for African-American firms they can put money into.”
White said having confidence in the product and leveraging technology to promote it are critical today.
Cheek also asked inventors how they knew their games would be able to fill a social void and become popular.
Ken Johnson — creator of Phase 10, one of the world’s top selling card games — said games that become popular have to generate emotions in players, and not necessarily positive emotions.
“It’s frustration that sometimes drives you to want to play again, to do better,” Johnson said. “The emotions that games bring out cause people to want to play again and again.”
Johnson said the key for any product, not just games, is to harness the emotions that bring people together.
Students asked inventors how they faced down obstacles and met their goals.
LaMont Morris, inventor of the Real Meal Easy Bake Oven, said persevering against unknown circumstances leads to success.
“Failure is just another way to make an adjustment,” Morris said.
Helen Harris, creator of the word game Jottit Down, said it’s essential to forge relationships with people whose skills complement your own.
“You don’t have to have all of the answers, but you should look around and cooperate with those people who can help,” Harris said.
Following the Q&A, Howard took the opportunity to ask students to share their creative aspirations.
Cheek said her goal is to eventually build and own her own school.
Other students said they hoped to work in fashion design and real estate.
Howard noted that having a rebellious quality and challenging established norms is how creative people achieve worldwide recognition.
“The number one influential fashion designer this world has ever seen is Coco Chanel,” Johnson said. “She challenged men into designing clothing that was comfortable for women. It was that rebel quality that got her recognized.
“Aspire to be like Coco Chanel. Take some rebel qualities with you. Challenge authority. Become the best you can be, and you’re going to do that.”