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BIG IDEA Book Club

Black Fortunes by Shomari Wills

A discussion group dedicated to diverse voices, perspectives, and authors. We'll aim to construct a meaningful conversation about anti-racism and embrace the diversity of our community.

Meetings take place via Zoom. Registered participants will be emailed meeting information prior to the event starting.

Black Fortunes: The story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires by Shomari Wills

eBook (hoopla) | Audiobook (hoopla) | Audiobook (Libby)

The 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. While 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.