Business
E.E. Ward Moving and Storage (1881- )
E.E. Ward Moving and Storage, recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as the oldest continuously operating Black-owned business in...
Johnson Products Company (1954- )
During a period in history when little attention was paid to Black consumers, husband and wife George and Joan Johnson...
Thomas Day (1801-ca. 1861)
Thomas Day, master cabinetmaker and entrepreneur, was born in 1801 in Dinwiddie County in southern Virginia to free African American parents. While...
Wormley House (1871–1893)
The Wormley House, ca. 1884 “Image Ownership: Public Domain” Just one block away from President’s Square, now Lafayette Square, in...
Sylvanus Smith (1831–1911)
“Image Ownership: Public Domain” Sylvanus Smith, once described in a city directory as a “hog driver,” was a free black...
Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman (1953- )
Entrepreneur businessman Ulysses Bridgeman, better known by his nickname, “Junior,” was born on September 17, 1953, in East Chicago, Indiana....
Louisa Matilda Jacobs (1833-1917)
Louisa “Lulu” Matilda Jacobs, teacher, equal rights activist, and entrepreneur, was born a slave in Edenton, North Carolina, on October...
Dwight L. Bush (1957 – )
Ambassador Dwight Bush had a 35 year career in finance and corporate management before he became a U.S. diplomat. He...
Emmanuel Francis Joseph (1900–1979)
“Image Ownership: Oakland Public Library & African American Museum” Emmanuel Francis (E.F.) Joseph was the first professional African American photographer...
