Race and Culture
Biddy Mason: The Mormon Slave That Became a Californian Treasure
TweetShareShare“Biddy” spent nearly forty years as a slave for a Mississippi slave master. She never learned to read or write. And yet she saved her midwife salary to become a wealthy Black real estate magnate…and revered philanthropist. It’s quite the story. It’s also an inspiring tale that proves it’s not how you start life that…
Read MoreSamuel Sharpe: The Jamaican Slave Preacher That Sparked Abolition
TweetShareShare“I would rather die upon yonder gallows than live my life in slavery.” Those were the passionate words of a young Black Jamaican slave preacher. His story changed the world…and that makes this tale worth telling. His name is Samuel “Daddy” Sharpe and he was born on a plantation owned by Samuel and Jane Sharpe…
Read MoreRobert James Harlan: Ohio’s Political Powerhouse
TweetShareShareRobert James Harlan (1816-1897) may have been born a slave but he lived most of his life free as a bird. And this Ohio bird could sing…and travel…and succeed. Born in Virginia on December 12, 1816. Harlan’s mother was mulatto, and his father was white. Consequently, Robert’s light-skinned complexion often helped him. As a young…
Read MoreAntoine Dubuclet, Jr.: The Cajun Savior of Louisiana
TweetShareShareHe was one of America’s wealthiest Black businessmen. As a Republican State Treasurer he saved debt-ridden Louisiana following the Civil War. But his story runs counter to many of the popular narratives in Black history today. Consequently, it’s a tale that worth telling. His name is Antoine Dubuclet, Jr. (1810-1887). He was a sugar planter…
Read MoreRobert Gordon: The Coal Magnate of Cincinnati
TweetShareShare“I must never leave my work until I have done my best.” That was the work ethic of Robert Gordon (1812-1884), a former slave and Cincinnati Black businessman who became a millionaire dealing coal. Gordon was born into slavery sometime in 1812, near Richmond, VA. His master operated a coal yard and young Robert quickly…
Read MoreMary Ellen Pleasant: San Francisco’s “Golden” Girl
TweetShareShareShe was Black America’s first self-made millionaire. The most powerful woman in San Francisco’s Gold-Rush period. She was a “one-woman social agency” for emancipated Blacks. Her name was Mary Ellen Pleasant…and her legendary story is simply unbelievable. Born in 1814, we know little about Mary Ellen’s youth because she told different tales to “please her…
Read MoreWilliam Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr.: California’s Black Millionaire Founding Father
TweetShareShareHis legacy is as long as his name. Known as the “African Founding Father of California” William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. (1810-1848) helped start San Francisco. He was America’s first Black millionaire thanks to highly lucrative businesses in shipping and lumber. And he was multi-racial…African, Cuban and Jewish. Leidesdorff’s contributions and name are largely lost…
Read MoreClara Brown: The Angel of the Rockies
TweetShareShare“I always go where Jesus calls me.” And Clara Brown (1803? – 1885) did just that. Widely known as “Aunt Clara” or the “Angel of the Rockies,” Ms. Brown was lauded for her Christian philanthropy and community leadership in pioneering Colorado. Clara Brown is a true American hero. It’s a tale worth reading. Brown was…
Read MoreSojourner Truth: The Truth That Set a Woman Free
TweetShareShareThe Smithsonian Magazine named her among America’s “Most Significant” individuals.”[i] She’s been commemorated on towers, highways, stamps, ships, monuments, and currency. A space rover and asteroid were named for her. Gloria Steinem initially considered branding Ms. Magazine in her honor. She was inducted into the Woman’s Hall of Fame (1981). Many consider her America’s greatest…
Read MoreStephen Smith: America’s First Black Business Mogul
TweetShareShareSTEPHEN SMITH (1795-1873) was born into slavery. At the tender age of five he became the indentured servant for Thomas Boude, a Pennsylvanian businessman. Smith spent his youth working the lumberyard. However, he also learned lessons from his master about business. This mentoring would make Smith rich beyond imagination. In that day, an indentured servant…
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