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Black Fortunes Audiobook Summary

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, Beyonce, 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.

Black Fortunes 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:

  • Mary Ellen Pleasant, who used her Gold Rush wealth to further the cause of abolitionist John Brown;
  • Robert Reed Church, who became the largest landowner in Tennessee;
  • Hannah Elias, the mistress of a New York City millionaire, who used the land her lover gave her to build an empire in Harlem;
  • Orphan and self-taught chemist Annie Turnbo-Malone, who developed the first national brand of hair care products;
  • Madam C. J Walker, Turnbo-Malone’s employee who would earn the nickname America’s “first female black millionaire;”
  • Mississippi 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.”

A fresh, little-known chapter in the nation’s story–A blend of Hidden Figures, Titan, and The TycoonsBlack Fortunes illuminates the birth of the black business titan and the emergence of the black marketplace in America as never before.

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Black Fortunes Audiobook Narrator

Ron Butler is the narrator of Black Fortunes audiobook that was written by Shomari Wills

Shomari Wills is a journalist. He has worked for CNN and Good Morning America, and has contributed to New York Carib News and Columbia Journalism Review. He received an undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and a graduate degree from Columbia University, where he was named a Lynton Book Writing Fellow. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

About the Author(s) of Black Fortunes

Shomari Wills is the author of Black Fortunes

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Black Fortunes Full Details

Narrator Ron Butler
Length 6 hours 51 minutes
Author Shomari Wills
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date January 30, 2018
ISBN 9780062797551

Subjects

The publisher of the Black Fortunes is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Discrimination & Race Relations, Social Science

Additional info

The publisher of the Black Fortunes is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062797551.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Jamal

February 08, 2018

Completely Blown away by this well researched Gem. Shomari wills presented the lives of these millionaires in such a cool way. Learned so many amazing things.

Katie/Doing Dewey

March 11, 2018

Summary: The writing was simple, but I loved the stories and the important but forgotten history they revealed.This is the story of the first black millionaires - six amazing individuals, living barely post-Civil War, who overcame incredible odds to achieve success. They include men who invested in real estate, women who started their own businesses, and women who married into wealth that they then invested wisely. Many of them then went on to give back to abolitionist causes or black communities.I have to admit that I was a immediately a little put off by how large the font and spacing were in this book. I like a lot of depth in my nonfiction and was worried by how short this looked. The author also noted up front that it was hard to put these stories together because civil records of black Americans at the time were often nonexistent. My fears were largely unfounded. The author did a great job with his research. I particularly appreciated that each chapter had a corresponding section, written out in paragraph form, on the author's sources for that section. I felt we got plenty of information about the lives of each of the six people the author highlighted.Unfortunately, I do think the author could have added more details to make the story really engaging. It's possible that this was more difficult for an author telling this particular story because of the scarcity of records. However, I suspect that details such as the weather or the appearance of public locations relevant to these stories were available and were left out. As a result, I found the writing somewhat plain and factual. The interest of the stories themselves went a long way to make this engaging, but the writing just didn't live up to my favorite narrative nonfiction.The stories themselves really were fantastic and the author did do a good job giving the big picture. I liked hearing about the historical context surrounding these stories. It was fascinating, if sobering, to hear more about the economic barriers intentionally placed in the way of black economic success following emancipation. I also thought the author's choice to tell these stories in chronological order, jumping between the six millionaires, was a good one. It made connections between these six people clear and again, helped provide historical context for their lives. Given that I wasn't blown away by the writing, I can't quite give this five stars, but it was an extremely interesting collection of stories I'd definitely recommend.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey

David

January 20, 2018

Millionaires today are no big deal. Half of Congress is millionaires. Not impressed. But the first six black American millionaires is a terrific story. These unlikely individuals started off with huge disadvantages, from race to skin color to illiteracy to being slaves or the children of slaves. That they rose to wealth in such a hostile environment – civil war, reconstruction, Jim Crow – makes them all the more impressive. And half of them were women.Unlike todays’ millionaires who can set out to make a fortune and just do it, the first six black millionaires often backed into it. Every story is different, every fortune is different. They leveraged the mobility of America, taking advantage of the California gold rush or the Oklahoma land giveaway. They became lenders to help build local businesses that helped them rent their buildings, or in one case, became the kept woman of a white multimillionaire. Their million in assets is worth tens of millions by today’s standards, making it all the more impressive.Shomari Wills has to be a fine storyteller to fill in the gaps in these largely unrecorded lives, and he is. They come alive in his pages and their stories move quickly. Rather than profile each one alone, his book is chronological. The chapters run from the 1800s to the 1950s. The characters show up in different decades as we pick up their stories again. There is little or no interaction among the players. They were too busy living their own lives to even know about each other, unlike todays’ crop, which constantly gather and socialize.And none of them made their fortune in office.My favorite is Mary Ellen Pleasant, who took off for California to track down her man, and ended up with a fortune in real estate, securities and a prominent place in secretly funding John Brown and the Abolitionists. She totally dedicated her fortune to the cause. She was a class act.There is a shelf of these books now. They tend to make far more interesting biographies for me than the run of the mill. There’s [[ASIN:1250070562 Prince of Darkness]] – the story of Jeremiah Hamilton, a Wall St. finagler, who shows up in Black Fortunes too, [[ASIN:0990959244 George Washington's Mulatto Man]] and most recently [[ASIN:1786071843 Black Tudors]], all of which I have reviewed. Black Fortunes is yet another, very different and fascinating collection to add to the shelf.David Wineberg

Cardyn

July 01, 2019

This review was first posted to BlerdyBingeReader.blogspot.com as a #CardynBrooksReviews #books. Ever heard of black Californian land baron and politico William Alexander Leidesdorff? No. What about New York financier Jeremiah Hamilton? Another no. Well, their stories are as fascinating as the tumultuous journeys of the six featured trailblazers: Mary Ellen Pleasant, Robert Reed Church, Ottawa W. Gurley, Hannah Elias, Annie Turnbo Malone, and Madame C. J. Walker, whose ostentatious lifestyle may have been a smoke screen. The introduction to Black Fortunes states that “Black millionaires disrupt the stereotypes of black economic impotence.” This book accomplishes the same. Meticulously researched and annotated, the text drops facts like explosive knowledge bombs in each chapter. The people of the five major tribes of Oklahoma fought with the Confederacy during the [Civil] war… [page 79] Maya Angelou was San Francisco’s first black streetcar conductor in 1944. [page 106 footnote] Shomari Wills uses a comprehensive examination of region, time, and political climate at the national and local levels to set the stage for each featured individual’s saga in context with familiar historical figures such as Ida B. Wells, Frederick Douglass, and John Brown. The jumps from one biography to another at pivotal moments interrupt the otherwise brisk narrative pacing, but the intrigue and danger entice readers to continue.One other editorial choice is also jarring: the usage of sanitized terms for the daily atrocities endured by enslaved and oppressed people. “Concubine” and “tryst” are used to describe non-consensual sexual encounters and rape. “Migrants” is substituted for describing newly freed slaves fleeing in terror from racist violence. On page 81, the armed soldiers who force-marched indigenous North Americans on the Trail of Tears are described as having “chaperoned their removal from their homelands.” Reading a documented account from one of its survivors or a visit to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will make it clear that annihilation was the ultimate goal of that particular atrocity. Only a few passages suffer from this odd filtering, and the scope and historical interlocking facts of Black Fortunes move across the U.S., social strata, and racial barriers with the drama of an adventure novel.

Benita

November 20, 2018

What an interesting look at a part of African American history that is not often told. Here we find the tales of 6 African American who found a way to beat the odds and amass wealth and influence. Whether it be through real estate, investing or creating new products and following dreams, the ending unfortunately is a familiar one. Great read and fascinating peek in the past that has paved the way for the lifestyles that we live and enjoy today!

Madlyn

March 31, 2018

It is always difficult to learn the truth about the struggles and atrocities blacks had to endured simply by the color of their skin.

June

April 02, 2022

Good biographies to ascribe to be like

Marion

March 05, 2020

Black History Month has passed, and I had a plan to read three non-fiction books about black history during the month of February. I finished Maurice White’s wonderful biography, My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire quickly and then I read Before The Mayflower by Lerone Bennett, Jr. Bennett’s groundbreaking book chewed up the rest of the month in reading because of its dense nature. The epic scope of Before The Mayflower demanded to be read slowly and thought about after each chapter. Now, it comes to my third book (a few days after February has ended), Black Fortunes by Shomari Wills.Black Fortunes tells the story of the First Six Black Millionaires during the period of Reconstruction and going into the 1920s. Mary Ellen Pleasant began in the 1820s as a free black girl from New England and ends up becoming one of the wealthiest black women during the California Gold Rush of the late 1840s-early 1850s. Pleasant was a commodity trader, moneylender, and helped financed the infamous raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia led by abolitionist John Brown. Robert Reed Church, born as a slave, from a tryst between white steamboat captain and his black mistress, becomes one of the largest landowners in Memphis and helps create the famous Beale Street. Annie Malone was abandoned by her parents during slavery and raised by her older sister. She invents several black haircare products and turns it into a thriving business.O.W. Gurley grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, but moved to Tulsa and built the Greenwood neighborhood that became known as “Black Wall Street”. Hannah Elias was the black mistress of white New York millionaire, John R. Platt. Elias used the money she received to help black real estate development in the famed neighborhood known as Harlem. The most famous of the first black millionaires was Madam C.J. Walker. She has been celebrated as the first black millionaire in American history. Walker followed in the footsteps of Annie Malone and created her own black hair care products business that would rival the success of her mentor.Wills writes a page-turning book that interweaves the stories of these millionaires and the tremendous challenges they faced during the Jim Crow era to achieve the American dream. Also, the book reveals how interconnected these six would become and their place in moving the African American community towards equality.The Karen Hunter Radio Show mentioned Black Fortunes recently, and I was glad she gave some time on the airwaves for the book. The stories about these first six black millionaires are stories I will not forget and has piqued my curiosity about the Greenwood neighborhood in Tulsa. Highly recommended.

Porsha

March 29, 2020

I enjoyed learning about the first BLACK millionaires after slavery. As an African American woman, it is important to know these facts of history. The book outlined exactly how each person was able to become successful as well as all obstacles that they had to face. I gave the book 4 stars because I did not like the order in which the book was written. A person is introduced in one chapter and then a few chapters later, the same person is being highlighted again. I would have preferred to get 2-3 consecutive chapters on each person than every other few chapters. All in all, a great and important read.

Miriam

March 07, 2018

The more I listened to this book, the more I wanted to know about the businesses and financial successes of these men and women. It was quite an achievement to earn and retain their millions. While I'd heard of Madame C.J. Walker, the others were new to me. A wonderful addition to reading for Black History Month and 19th century American cultural and economic history.Look for a different review in AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com

Lulu

April 12, 2019

This should be required reading! Mary Ellen Pleasant, Robert Reed Church, Ottawa W Gurley, Annie Malone, Hannah Elias, and Madam CJ Walker; these 6 amazing individuals are among the first black millionaires in the US. The author did an exceptional job of acknowledging these historical figures. His research was astounding and with all the facts presented here, he still manages to keep you fully engaged. GO READ IT!

Lois

June 22, 2018

This is really engaging and easily readable and enjoyable for those who don't normally enjoy non-fiction. The characters are treated with full stories told about them and their surroundings. It's a really interesting and informative look at this period in US history.I thoroughly enjoyed this. The audiobook narrator was a joy.

Kiante

April 10, 2018

It was more than a biography about these millionaires, but it was great history in their rise to wealth while fighting against racism, Reconstruction, Jim Crow all while they promoted the rise of the black community whether on a local or national scale.

Karen

April 11, 2018

Very good book!!! I had no idea there were so many black millionaires around the time of the Civil War! Their stories were inspiring and also a bit sad. MUST READ!

LeeTravelGoddess

February 19, 2022

OK. GET INTO IT!!! See here’s the thing… i don’t want to hear nothing about bootstraps and such cause the THIEVERY that transpired in this historical read *chiiiiiiiiiiiileeee* save it, mmmkay. Add it to ya libraries peeps; it’s a tops!!! 💚💚💚 and I was too tickled about Madam CJ… shoot him Sis, Bahahahahhahahahahaha!!!

Syvehlla

March 29, 2020

4.5 stars. Very informative book on the unknown and hidden accomplishments of wealthy black people years ago. This is a part of black history we don't typically hear about. Most of us are only taught about slavery, so it was very refreshing to read a book on accomplishments of African Americans so long ago, several of who were former slaves or whose parents were former slaves. I would recommend this book, as it, again, was very educational regarding black history not often taught in schools. My only complaint was I wish it was written in a more chronological order. But I also understand why some parts of it weren't, so some of the characters could come together in later chapters.

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