Afrocentricity: African American Millionaires

Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Survived Slavery and Became Millionaires
Between the years of 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.
Black Fortunes

African American Role Models

In order for a parents to raise children to be successful, they need to place before the child, successful people. While good people of any culture can be a "role model", it is good to have role models that the child can identify with. Below are a list of African Americans who I feel are great role models for success. Although, everyone does not have to be a millionaire to be a Role Model.

"Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way." ~ Les Brown

Modern Times: African American Millionaires

John H. Johnson

John Harold Johnson (January 19, 1918 – August 8, 2005) was an American businessman and publisher. He was the founder of the Johnson Publishing Company. In 1982, he became the first African American to appear on the Forbes 400.

Source: John H. Johnson -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crispus Attucks Wright

Crispus Attucks Wright '36, the son of a former slave who became an influential Beverly Hills civil rights lawyer, businessman and major benefactor of the USC Law School, died Dec. 4, 2001 in Los Angeles. He was 87.

In 1997, the retired attorney donated $2 million to fund the Crispus Attucks Wright Scholarships for minority law students and others dedicated to practice in underserved minority communities. At the time, it was the largest gift to USC by an African American.

African-American civil rights lawyer and businessman. In 1940, Wright opened his firm in south-central Los Angeles. Three years later, he co-founded the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles that remains the principal Black legal association in the LA area. As a young lawyer, Wright helped the NAACP prepare the late-1940s case that led the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down restrictive real estate contracts as unconstitutional.

Source: Crispus Attucks Wright -Alumni News, USC

Matel "Mat" Dawson Jr.

Born on January 3, 1921 in Shreveport, LA; died on November 2, 2002, in Highland Park, MI; son of Bessie and Matel Dawson Sr. With little more than a ninth grade education and a commitment to hard work, forklift operator Matel Dawson Jr. managed to amass a small fortune by working 80-plus hours a week and investing heavily in the stock of his employer, the Ford Motor Company.

Source: Matel "Mat" Dawson Jr. -Answers

Source: Matel "Mat" Dawson Jr. -The White House

Quincy D. Jones

Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans six decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend Award in 1991.

Source: Quincy D. Jones -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earl G. Graves

Earl Gilbert Graves, Sr. (born January 9, 1935) is an American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, and philanthropist. A graduate of Morgan State University, he is the founder of Black Enterprise magazine and chairman of the media company Earl G. Graves, Ltd. He is the current director for Aetna and Executive Board member of the Boy Scouts of America. He is the father of Earl G. Graves, Jr.

Source: Earl Gilbert Graves, Sr. -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earl Gilbert "Butch" Graves, Jr. (born January 5, 1962, in Brooklyn, New York, US) is an American businessman and retired basketball player. He is a Scarsdale High School graduate.

Graves, the son of Black Enterprise founder Earl G. Graves, Sr., attended Yale University and earned an MBA from Harvard University. While at Yale he was a member of Skull and Bones and captained the college basketball team. He currently is the all-time leading scorer in Yale men's basketball history and third all-time in Ivy League. He was drafted into the NBA by the Philadelphia 76ers and later played briefly for the Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-85).

Source: Earl G. Graves, Jr. -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joe L. Dudley Sr.

Joe Louis Dudley, Sr. (born May 9, 1937) is an American businessman and hair care entrepreneur. He is the president and chief executive officer for Dudley Products Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of hair and skin care products for the African American community.

Source: Joe L. Dudley Sr. -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reginal Francis Lewis

Reginald F. Lewis (December 7, 1942 – January 19, 1993), was an American businessman, who was one of the most successful business leaders during the 1980s. He was the richest African-American man in the 1980s. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. He won a football scholarship to Virginia State College, graduating with a degree in economics in 1965. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1968 and was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Source: Reginal Francis Lewis -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert L. Johnson

Robert L. Johnson (born April 8, 1946) is an American media magnate, the founder of television network Black Entertainment Television (BET), and its former chairman and chief executive officer. He is also chairman and founder of RLJ Development and former majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, a National Basketball Association franchise along with rapper Nelly and NBA legend and current majority owner Michael Jordan. In 2001, Johnson became the first African American billionaire, and the first black person to be listed on any of Forbes world's rich list (excluding black Canadian billionaire Michael Lee-Chin who first appeared on the list the same year, who is of mixed black and Chinese ancestry).

Source: Robert L. Johnson -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BLACK QUEEN The Most Powerful piece in the game
More people should research the history of Black Queens around the world, not just from Africa proper, such as the black queen of England.
Black Queen

Oprah Gail Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey (born January 29, 1954) is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her multi-award-winning talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show which was the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. She has been ranked the richest African-American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was for a time the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world

Source: Oprah Winfrey -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shelton "Spike" Jackson Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.

Lee's movies have examined race relations, colorism in the black community, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award. He has also received two Academy Award nominations.

Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Jacqueline Carroll (née Shelton), a teacher of arts and black literature, and William James Edward Lee III, a jazz musician and composer.

Source: Spike Lee -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russel Simmons

Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American business magnate. He and Rick Rubin founded the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam. He also created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and American Classics.

Russell Simmons is the third richest figure in hip hop, having a net-worth estimate of $340 million as of April 2011.

Source: Russell Simmons -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Source: Magic Johnson -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds

Kenneth Brian "Babyface" Edmonds (born April 10, 1959) is a ten-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B musician, singer–songwriter and record producer.

Source: Babyface Edmonds -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tyra Banks

Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973) is an American actress, occasional author, television personality and former Supermodel.

Source: Tyra Banks -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods

Eldrick Tont (Tiger) Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time.

Source: Eldrick "Tiger" Woods -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New Century: African American Millionaires

Madame C.J. Walker

Madam C. J. Walker: Inventor and Millionaire (Famous African Americans)
"Don’t wait for opportunities to come . . . get up and make them!" said Madam C. J. Walker. She rose from laundry woman to become America’s first black woman millionaire. Born in poverty, Walker set her sights on a better life and made her fortune by developing hair care and beauty products specially formulated for African Americans. As her wealth and influence grew, she also channeled her energies into working for civil rights and social change.
Madam C. J. Walker

Sarah Breedlove (December 23, 1867 – May 25, 1919), known as Madam C. J. Walker, was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, regarded as the first female self made millionaire in America.

Source: Madame C.J. Walker -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annie Turnbo Malone

Annie Minerva Turnbo Malone (August 9, 1869—May 10, 1957) was an American businesswoman, inventor and philanthropist. In the first three decades of the 20th century, she founded and developed a large and prominent commercial and educational enterprise centered on cosmetics for African-American women.

Source: Annie Turnbo Malone -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Sengstacke Abbott

Robert Sengstacke Abbott (24 November 1870 - February 29, 1940) was an African-American lawyer, newspaper publisher and an early African-American Baha'i.

Source: Robert Sengstacke Abbott -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arthur George Gaston

Arthur George Gaston (July 4, 1892 – January 19, 1996) was an African-American businessman who established a number of businesses in Birmingham, Alabama, and who played a significant role in the struggle to integrate Birmingham in 1963.

Source: Arthur George Gaston -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

S. B. Fuller

Samuel B. Fuller (S.B. Fuller) (June 4, 1905, Monroe, Louisiana —- October 24, 1988, Blue Island, Illinois) was an American entrepreneur. He was founder and president of the Fuller Products Company, publisher of the New York Age and Pittsburgh Courier, head of the South Side Chicago NAACP, president of the National Negro Business League, and a prominent black Republican.

Source: S. B. Fuller -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Civil War and Reconstruction: African American Millionaires

Mary Ellen Pleasant

Mary Ellen Pleasant (born 19 August ?1814-1817 - died 4 January 1904) was a 19th Century female entrepreneur of partial African descent widely known as Mammy Pleasant, who used her fortune to further the abolitionist movement. She worked on the Underground Railroad across many states and then helped bring it to California during the Gold Rush Era. She was a friend and financial supporter of John Brown and well known in abolitionist circles. After the Civil War she took her battles to the courts in the 1860s, and won several civil rights victories, one of which was cited and upheld in the 1980s and resulted in her being called “The Mother of Human Rights in California” An exhibit detailing these events can be seen at the Women's Museum of California in San Diego."

Source: Mary Ellen Pleasant -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bridget "Biddy" Mason

Bridget "Biddy" Mason (August 15, 1818, in Hancock County, Georgia – January 15, 1891, in Los Angeles, California) was an African-American nurse and a Californian real-estate entrepreneur and philanthropist."

Source: Biddy Mason -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anthony Overton

Anthony Overton (March 21, 1865-July 2, 1946), a banker and manufacturer, was the first African-American to lead a major business conglomerate. In 1898 he established Hygienic Manufacturing Company and produced a number of goods, including the nationally-known High Brown Face Powder, which was -the first market success in the sale of cosmetics for black women-. In 1923 he established the Douglass National Bank, the second nationally chartered black-owned bank in the United States. He went on to develop a highly diverse conglomerate, including the Great Northern Realty Company, the Chicago Bee, and the Victory Life Insurance Company.

Source: Anthony Overton -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abraham Lincoln Lewis

Abraham Lincoln Lewis (1865–1947) was an American businessman. He founded the Afro-American Life Insurance Company in Jacksonville, Florida, and became the state's first African American millionaire. He also founded the National Register-listed community of American Beach, founded as a prestigious vacation spot for blacks during the period of racial segregation.

Source: Abraham Lincoln Lewis -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pre Civil War: African American Millionaires

William Alexander Leidesdorff

William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. (October 23, 1810 – May 18, 1848) was one of the earliest mixed-race U.S. citizens in California and a highly successful, enterprising businessman. He was a West Indian immigrant of African Cuban, possibly Carib, Danish and Jewish ancestry.

Source: William Alexander Leidesdorff -Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

African American Millionaires: Source Material

"A list of African American millionaires can be found in the Forbes magazine or on Ranker. One of the most wealthy African Americans is Oprah Winfrey. Due to her brands and other investments, she consistently makes several million dollars each year. Another well known African American is Robert Johnson, the founder of Black Entertainment Television, otherwise known as BET. Tiger Woods is a professional golfer and another African American millionaire. Tiger Woods has won over 60 PGA tournaments and numerous championships. Other African American millionaires include: Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Berry Gordon, Kobe Bryant, Jay-Z, Don King, Janice Bryant Howroyd, and Sheila Johnson." - Source: 'African American Millionaires' Ask

"According to Forbes 2013 ranking of the world's billionaires, Nigerian business magnate Aliko Dangote with a net worth of $16.1 billion is the world's richest black person. The other Blacks on the list are Nigeria's Mike Adenuga with $4.7 billion, South African gold magnate Patrice Motsepe with $2.9 billion, and American Oprah Winfrey at $2.8 billion." - Source: 'Black billionaires' Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Black Studies

The African American Experiences is a collection of Black Studies to understand the Past, Present and Future of the People called African American!

"Wealth is to have your own Land, Language and Culture! Where is the Land of the African American? What is the Language? And, Where is the Culture of the people?"

 

 

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