Contours of Black Entrepreneurship in America

Catalog description

Ever since landing in Jamestown, Virginia—over 400 years ago—people of African descent have been engaged in entrepreneurial pursuits in America. Enslaved and free, they forged ventures out of necessity. Possessing an entrepreneurial spirit aided them in sustaining themselves and their families; in some instances it even helped them to secure their own freedom while contributing to the American business landscape. Black entrepreneurship has continued to evolve over the centuries. Borne out of slavery, discrimination, abolition, emancipation, systemic racism, segregation/Jim Crow, protest, courage, resistance, passion, and hope, among other things, Black business owners, similar to others in the American mosaic, have always been desirous of running enterprises or establishing ventures that meet marketplace demand. Black entrepreneurs are not a monolith and come in all varieties: Anthony Johnson, James Forten, William Leidesdorff, Booker T. Washington, Maggie Lena Walker, Alonzo Herndon, Madam C.J. Walker, John Johnson, Oprah Winfrey, Reginald Lewis, Daymond John, Sean Combs, Shawn (Jay Z) and Beyonce Knowles Carter, David L. Steward, Robert Smith, and Lisa Price, among others.