via Flickr
Mary Ellen Pleasant
Before this woman entrepreneur, real estate tycoon, and abolitionist amassed a fortune during California’s Gold Rush, she was working the Underground Railroad, guiding enslaved Black people to freedom.
All of Pleasant’s money went towards helping Black folks access their rights.
Robert Reed Church
During the Civil War, Church bought his first property in Memphis, TN. From there, he became a prominent businessman, landowner, and philanthropist.
He used his wealth to found the city’s first Black-owned bank and develop facilities specifically for Black people in a pro-segregation world.
Hannah Elias
She was called the “Negro Enchantress” for her ability to beguile white men out of their money. Passing as white herself, she used her charm to get rich - and used the wealth she gained to buy properties and to help her Black friends beneath the mask of night.
Annie Turnbo-Malone and Madam C. J. Walker
These two Black women entrepreneurs, activists, and millionaires knew each other very well. Before separately building hair care product empires, Walker actually worked for Turnbo-Malone!
O. W. Gurley
Who would’ve thought buying 40 acres could lead to such a thriving Black community and plenty of wealth? During Oklahoma’s Land run, Gurley’s purchase of 40 acres transformed into the bustling community of “Black Wall Street” in Tulsa, thanks to his entrepreneurship.
These Black millionaires weren’t just materially wealthy - they were wealthy in spirit. And with their money, they helped advance Black people instead of just themselves.