During Black History Month and throughout the year, honoring the work of Black inventors and innovators is more than symbolic. It offers a bridge to a fuller energy narrative rather than overlooking the contributions of Black pioneers in conservation and clean technology. Among those who deserve sustained recognition is Lonnie G. Johnson, whose career spans both playful inventions and serious energy breakthroughs.
A tinkerer’s beginnings, a scientist’s training
Born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1949, Lonnie Johnson developed an early fascination with taking things apart and rebuilding them. Encouraged by his father, he built his first robot in high school using scraps; that robot won a regional science fair. He went on to attend Tuskegee University, earning a BS in mechanical engineering in 1973 and later an MS in nuclear engineering. Afterward, he joined the U.S. Air Force and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to projects such as the Galileo, Mars Observer, and Cassini missions.
The Super Soaker: A surprise byproduct of clean-tech work
One of the most fun and interesting Black History Month facts is that Johnson’s best-known invention—the Super Soaker water gun—was born almost by accident.
Johnson was experimenting with an environmentally friendly heat pump that used water instead of Freon. He tested the prototype in his own bathroom, aiming its nozzle at the bathtub. The surprisingly strong stream of water that shot into it inspired the creation of a toy that would go on to earn over $1 billion in retail sales. That commercial success provided resources and leverage, allowing him to pursue more clean energy innovations.
Clean energy ambitions: JTEC, batteries, and beyond
Far from resting on toy laurels, Johnson has continued to invest in energy research. His signature concept is the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter (JTEC). This device is intended to convert waste heat directly into electricity and can also operate in reverse as a cooling system.
On his personal website, Johnson refers to this as a “moonshot” project: a bold vision that could upend how we approach energy conversion. JTEC was named one of the top ten world-changing inventions in 2008.
More recently, through his companies Johnson Research & Development and Johnson Energy Storage, he has been developing advanced rechargeable battery technologies—in particular, solid-state designs that utilize safer, higher-performing, and lower-risk materials. His work in battery development aims to address one of the biggest challenges in the clean energy transition: energy storage.
Elevating stories like Johnson’s helps broaden public understanding of how clean energy evolves and who builds it. Funders, educators, and the media can amplify the voices of Black inventors not only in toy design and civil rights but also in energy systems, climate solutions, and sustainability engineering.
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