How Learning About Gerald Lawson Changed My View of Gaming History

 

 

Growing up in the 80s, I was surrounded by video games in arcades and at friends’ homes. But I never once heard the name Gerald Lawson. He worked on the Fairchild Channel F, the first console to use interchangeable cartridges. That innovation shaped the entire industry. Yet his story never reached me as a kid. That silence says a lot about how history gets told.

Memories of Gerrard Square

I remember going to Gerrard Square in Toronto, near Pape Ave. It doesn’t look exactly now, how it looked back then. I spent hours at the arcade (was near CIBC), and wandered through Radio Shack or Sears just to play with the latest tech. Those places are long gone now, but the memories stick. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder how different it would have felt to know Gerald Lawson’s story. Imagine walking into those spaces as a young Black kid and realizing that we did play a role in  gaming from the very start.

Representation I Didn’t See

If I had known back then that a Black man created one of the most important innovations in gaming, it would have changed how I saw myself. As a kid, I didn’t see people who looked like me in those spaces. That silence made it feel like we weren’t part of it. Learning about Lawson later in life was both inspiring and frustrating. It reminded me how much of our history was hidden.

Why Gerald Lawson’s Legacy Matters

For me, this is about more than just gaming. It’s about correcting the record and showing that we were always here, contributing in ways that mattered. Lawson’s legacy deserves to be remembered, not just for what he built, but for what it means to kids today. Young people need to see themselves in these stories. His history should have been told from the start, and I don’t want it to stay hidden any longer.