Overview
America, always revered as the land of opportunity, is rich instories about ambitious, determined individuals who worked hard andbuilt businesses of their own. Yet, few people know about the manyAfrican American entrepreneurs who helped shape the American dream.This collection brings their stories to life.
In every century, succeeding in business has required courage,ideas, the willingness to take risks, and the desire to succeed.For an African American man or woman, building a business alsomeant struggling against prejudice and working even harder thanmany others. Those who succeed are not just good businessmen and-women, they are heroes and heroines.
In this vivid, inspiring collection, you will meet more thanthirty fascinating African American entrepreneurs, from theeighteenth century up to the present, who overcame the odds againstthem. You'll discover little-known facts about their families, andthe exciting times in which they lived. Along the way, you'llwitness the triumph of talent, ingenuity, and perseverance.
Ranging from cattle ranching to magazine publishing andcomputers, these stories show you how:
- Marie-Thérèse Metoyer, born into slavery, started herown plantation.
- Pierre Toussaint, born a slave in Haiti, became rich as ahairdresser in New York.
- Granville T. Woods, an engineer, could not find work after theCivil War because he was black. So he started inventing. During hislife, he registered more than sixty patents.
- Henry G. Parks, using an old Virginia sausage recipe, built anational food company.
- Alphonse "Buddy" Fletcher Jr., one of Wall Street's mostsuccessful stock traders, started his own firm before he was eventhirty years old.
This outstanding collection brings to light these and dozens ofother exciting and surprising tales of entrepreneurs who livedtheir dreams.
Meet the black stars who lived their dreams—from theearly years to modern times
Richard Henry Boyd
Janet Harmon Bragg
Paul Cuffe
Alphonse "Buddy" Fletcher Jr.
James Forten
A. G. Gaston
Berry Gordy Jr.
Earl G. Graves
Thomas L. Jennings
John H. Johnson
Quincy Jones
Elizabeth Keckley
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee
William Leidesdorff
Reginald F. Lewis
"Free Frank" McWorter
Marie-Thérèse Metoyer
Oscar Micheaux
Henry G. Parks
Philip A. Payton Jr.
David Ruggles
Jake Simmons Jr.
Ada "Bricktop" Smith
Charles Clinton Spaulding
Pierre Toussaint
Dempsey J. Travis
Madame C. J. Walker
Maggie Lena Walker
Omar Wasow
Oprah Winfrey
Granville T. Woods
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