Senior entrepreneurs
Great African-American Entrepreneurs Who Made History
Teresa Wiltz is senior staff writer at Stateline, the journalism outlet of the Pew Charitable Trusts.
From the very beginning, black Americans have struggled to make a way out of no way. Faced with rampant racism and discrimination, industrious African Americans decided to do for self, launching their own businesses and empires. In honor of Black History Month, here’s a look at some of the earliest—and most enterprising—black entrepreneurs.
Anthony Johnson
“Antonio a Negro” first came to these shores in 1621 from Angola as an indentured servant and worked his way to freedom, when he promptly changed his name to Anthony Johnson. He eventually bought a large parcel of land in Virginia, where he operated a successful farm and owned his own indentured servants (some of whom were white). He later moved to Maryland. Over the years, he acquired considerable wealth—no mean feat for a man who came to the U.S. in chains.