African American Entrepreneurs

Synopsis

America, always revered as the land of opportunity, is rich in stories about ambitious, determined individuals who worked hard and built businesses of their own. Yet, few people know about the many African 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 also meant struggling against prejudice and working even harder than many 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 than thirty fascinating African American entrepreneurs, from the eighteenth century up to the present, who overcame the odds against them. You'll discover little-known facts about their families, and the exciting times in which they lived. Along the way, you'll witness the triumph of talent, ingenuity, and perseverance.

Ranging from cattle ranching to magazine publishing and computers, these stories show you how:

• Marie-Thérèse Metoyer, born into slavery, started her own plantation.
• Pierre Toussaint, born a slave in Haiti, became rich as a hairdresser in New York.
• Granville T. Woods, an engineer, could not find work after the Civil War because he was black. So he started inventing. During his life, he registered more than sixty patents.
• Henry G. Parks, using an old Virginia sausage recipe, built a national food company.
• Alphonse Buddy Fletcher Jr., one of Wall Street's most successful stock traders, started his own firm before he was even thirty years old.

This outstanding collection brings to light these and dozens of other exciting and surprising tales of entrepreneurs who lived their dreams.

Meet the black stars who lived their dreams-from the early 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

Profiles a variety of African American entrepreneurs, from the early years, through the Civil War and Reconstruction, to modern times.