Overview of IDKMYDE: The Man Who Invented Color TV... Didn't Even Own One
This episode of I Didn't Know (hosted by B.Dot on the Black Effect Podcast Network) tells the story of Otis Frank Boykin — an African American electrical engineer and inventor whose improvements to electrical resistors helped make color television (and many other electronic devices) more stable, affordable, and safe. The episode frames Boykin’s technical contributions alongside the injustices of intellectual property and wealth distribution that left him unable to personally benefit from the mass adoption of the technology he helped enable.
Key points and main takeaways
- The episode opens with three “useless facts” that set the frame:
- Color televisions only became widespread in the 1960s, even though the technology existed earlier.
- The core technology that stabilized and lowered the cost of color TV was invented years before its mass adoption.
- The Black engineer behind that core tech couldn’t afford a color TV himself.
- Otis Frank Boykin:
- Was an electrical engineer and inventor credited in the episode with 26 patents.
- Developed precision resistors and signal-control components that improved signal clarity, reduced interference, lowered production costs, and decreased fire risk for televisions.
- His components were used beyond TVs — reportedly in radios, computers, pacemakers, and military missile guidance systems (as stated in the episode).
- Despite the widespread use of his designs, Boykin received little financial benefit because companies licensed and mass-produced his inventions; recognition and compensation came late and were inadequate.
- The episode uses Boykin’s story to highlight broader systemic issues: Black inventors have built much of modern technology yet often don’t capture the wealth or control the narrative surrounding their innovations.
- Carter G. Woodson is quoted as a lens for the argument: without documentation or ownership, others will claim and profit from your work.
Notable quotes / memorable lines (as presented)
- “Color televisions... they didn't become widespread until the 1960s, a full decade after the technology existed.”
- “The black man who helped make it possible couldn't even afford a color television himself.”
- “If you don't document who built what, somebody else will claim it. If you don't control the narrative, someone else will rewrite it. And if you don't own the means of production, you just produce something for someone else's means.” — paraphrase/quotation attributed to Carter G. Woodson in the episode.
Background: Otis Boykin (summary from episode)
- Role: Electrical engineer and inventor.
- Contribution: Improved electrical resistors and signal-control devices that stabilized color TV signals and made production cheaper and safer.
- Impact: Components derived from his work were used across consumer electronics and critical equipment (per episode): televisions, radios, computers, pacemakers, missile guidance.
- Recognition/Compensation: Held many patents (episode cites 26) but did not reap proportional financial rewards from mass-produced licensed designs.
Broader themes and implications
- Racial inequity in innovation: The episode underscores how Black inventors have historically been excluded from economic gains tied to their inventions.
- Intellectual property and ownership: Licensing arrangements and corporate control often shift profits away from individual inventors.
- Historical memory / narrative control: Without documentation and storytelling, contributions by marginalized creators risk being erased or credited to others.
Actionable next steps / recommendations
- Learn more: Read biographies and primary sources about Otis Boykin and other overlooked Black inventors to better understand their contributions.
- Amplify and teach: Incorporate these histories into education and public history projects so credit and context are preserved.
- Support equitable IP/entrepreneurship: Advocate for policies, mentorship, and funding that help inventors — especially from underrepresented groups — retain ownership and share in profits.
- Listen: For context and the full narrative, listen to the episode on the Black Effect Podcast Network or iHeartRadio.
Related content mentioned in the episode
- Promo snippets included for other iHeart podcasts: The A-Building, Two Guys Five Rings, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, and Mind Games.
- Host: B.Dot (episode includes a brief personal anecdote about moving his son to an honors dorm).
Bottom line
The episode is a short, pointed reminder that technological advances — even those that reshape daily life, like color television — often rest on the work of individuals who never fully benefited from their inventions. Otis Boykin’s technical contributions materially improved electronics and public safety, and his story illustrates the need to preserve historical credit and pursue more equitable structures around invention and profit.