{"product_id":"black-fortunes-the-story-of-the-first-six-african-americans-who-escaped-slavery-and-became-millionaires-isbn-9780062437594","title":"Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOne of \u003cem\u003eEbony Magazine's\u003c\/em\u003e True Read picks of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“By telling the little-known stories of six pioneering African American entrepreneurs, \u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e makes a worthy contribution to black history, to business history, and to American history.”—\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMargot Lee Shetterly, Author of the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller \u003cem\u003eHidden Figures\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe astonishing untold history of America’s first black millionaires—former slaves who endured incredible challenges to amass and maintain their wealth for a century, from the Jacksonian period to the Roaring Twenties—self-made entrepreneurs whose unknown success mirrored that of American business heroes such as Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, and Thomas Edison.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Michael Jordan, and Will Smith are among the estimated 35,000 black millionaires in the nation today, these famous celebrities were not the first blacks to reach the storied one percent. Between the years of 1830 and 1927, as the last generation of blacks born into slavery was reaching maturity, a small group of smart, tenacious, and daring men and women broke new ground to attain the highest levels of financial success.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e is an intriguing look at these remarkable individuals, including Napoleon Bonaparte Drew—author Shomari Wills’ great-great-great-grandfather—the first black man in Powhatan County (contemporary Richmond) to own property in post-Civil War Virginia. His achievements were matched by five other unknown black entrepreneurs including:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMary Ellen Pleasant, who used her Gold Rush wealth to further the cause of abolitionist John Brown;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRobert Reed Church, who became the largest landowner in Tennessee;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHannah Elias, the mistress of a New York City millionaire, who used the land her lover gave her to build an empire in Harlem;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrphan and self-taught chemist Annie Turnbo-Malone, who developed the first national brand of hair care products;\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMadam C. J Walker, Turnbo-Malone’s employee who would earn the nickname America’s \"first female black millionaire;\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMississippi school teacher O. W. Gurley, who developed a piece of Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a \"town\" for wealthy black professionals and craftsmen\" that would become known as \"the Black Wall Street.\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eA fresh, little-known chapter in the nation’s story—A blend of \u003cem\u003eHidden Figures, Titan,\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Tycoons\u003c\/em\u003e—\u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e illuminates the birth of the black business titan and the emergence of the black marketplace in America as never before.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImmediately following Emancipation, there were 4,047 millionaires in the United States—and six of them were African American. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBetween 1830 and 1927, as the last generation of blacks born into slavery was reaching maturity, a small group of industrious, tenacious, and daring men and women broke new ground to attain the highest levels of financial success. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMary Ellen Pleasant used her Gold Rushwealth to further the cause of abolitionist John Brown. Robert Reed Church became the largest landowner in Tennessee. Hannah Elias, the mistress of a New York City millionaire, used the property her lover gave her to build an empire in Harlem. Orphan and self-taught chemist Annie Turnbo Malone developed the first national brand of hair care products. Mississippi schoolteacher O. W. Gurley developed a piece of Tulsa, Oklahoma, into a “town” for wealthy black professionals and craftsmen that would become known as “Black Wall Street.” Although Madam C. J. Walker was given the title of America’s first female black millionaire, she was not. She was the first, however, to flaunt and openly claim her wealth—a dangerous and revolutionary act. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNearly all the unforgettable personalities in this amazing collection were often attacked, demonized, or swindled out of their wealth. Black Fortunes illuminates as never before the birth of the black business titan.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“By telling the little-known stories of six pioneering African American entrepreneurs, \u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e makes a worthy contribution to black history, to business history, and to American history.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMargot Lee Shetterly, New York Times Bestselling author of Hidden Figures\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Imagine the irony of having been born enslaved, and elevated to millionaire status. These millionaires made their fortunes through hard work, guile, luck, and uncanny entrepreneurial acumen. They accumulated wealth against all odds, clearing the hurdles of custom, law, and racial hostility. Wills shares little-known details about these rich and absorbing lives, and gives these millionaires a dimensionality that some history ignores. A really good read!” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJulianne Malveaux, Economist and Author of Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Black Fortunes is not simply the story of a handful of African Americans who wove skill and good fortune into wealth, it is the story of the world in which they managed to do so. With this volume Shomari Wills has added layers to our understanding of the black past and its implications for the American present.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJelani Cobb, Author of The Substance of Hope\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Shomari Wills has written an amazingly informing account of how the nation’s First Six African Americans who came up from slavery became millionaires. \u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e recounts an invaluable aspect of American history that speaks poignantly of the remarkable success of black entrepreneurship against insuperable odds in the last half of the nineteenth century. By providing extensive research into the lives of these astute business men and women of color, Wills gives an insightful view into a salient aspect of American history that is often overlooked.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDavid C. Driskell, Director of  David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The history mined in \u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e will come as a revelation to many who will be shocked to learn that there was a black wealth class immediately after slavery….a classic story of black resilience and the determination to upend a racist social order in the most meaningful, quantifiable way, but it’s also a cautionary tale about the unique challenges African Americas face in trying to build and sustain wealth.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBlack Enterprise\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The stories of black success against all odds will motivate entrepreneurs for generations to come.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTallahassee Democrat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fascinating… Wills’ storytelling is infectious, his subjects are irresistible, and his broad coverage invites readers to venture further into the events and historical context he so vividly introduces.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Written in a straightforward style…it will appeal to general readers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[An] engaging profile of the first African Americans to become millionaires… \u003cem\u003eBlack Fortunes\u003c\/em\u003e provides necessary context to [their] achievements and as such is a significant addition to our ever-evolving understanding of collective history.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[A] history-rich book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEbony\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Incredible stories of six self-made African-American millionaires…This highly readable group biography illustrates the ways those early millionaires ‘survived assassination attempts, lynchings, frivolous lawsuits, and criminal cases’ and, in doing so, paved the way for Oprah, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Shomari Wills captures six African Americans who did the improbable, who somehow escaped slavery, someway evaded racist traps, and by some means arrived and remained at wealth. Black Fortunes is as astonishing and rich as the lives of the first Black millionaires it chronicles.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eIbram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning Author of Stamped from the Beginning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Amistad","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888392892645,"sku":"NP9780062437594","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780062437594.jpg?v=1730228994","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/black-fortunes-the-story-of-the-first-six-african-americans-who-escaped-slavery-and-became-millionaires-isbn-9780062437594","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}