Watch: How Jerry Lawson pioneered the world of video games
"Keeping Black History Alive" will highlight Black individuals and their historic achievements during the month of February.
Throughout February, the commemoration of Black History Month, theGrio will be celebrating Black pioneers like Gerald “Jerry” Lawson, the father of modern gaming, via “Keeping Black History Alive.”
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lawson began his career in Silicon Valley and joined the Fairchild Semiconductor in 1970. He developed the first home gaming system with interchangeable game cartridges, the Fairchild Channel F console, which revolutionized video games. In 1980, Lawson started Video Soft, the first Black-owned video game development company.
He died in April 2011 at age 70, and a month before his passing, Lawson was honored by the International Game Developers Association for his stellar vision in gaming.
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