# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
RBG-THE STORY OF MARCUS GARVEY-A Documentary Film

# data[].attributes.body
Short Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marcus Garvey Documentry Part 1 of 6 Respect to Thirteen TV.... pbs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Oprah Winfrey Biography: Life and Career

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Don Cornelius: Visionary, Trailblazer, Cultural Icon Pt.1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black Wall Street in Tulsa Oklahoma - Pt 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Lawal moved to America in 1971

CAMAC was established by Lawal in 1986 as an agricultural trading company

Now CAMAC is a multi-billion dollar oil empire

Lawal was awarded the USAfrica Business Person of the Year in 1997

(CNN) -- Nigerian-born entrepreneur Kase Lawal is the epitome of the American dream. Arriving to the US a young, idealistic student, Lawal has carved a name for himself in one of the most competitive industries in the world: Oil.

Now head of a multi-billion dollar empire, his Houston-based company, CAMAC, is one of the largest black-owned businesses in the U.S., generating over $2 billion dollars a year.

Founded nearly 25 years ago, Lawal built CAMAC (which stands for Cameroon-American) from a small agriculture business into a global oil company. But it's taken a lot of hard work, determination and guts to get him to the top.

Born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1954, Lawal became interested in America and its civil rights movement during his teens. After finally persuading his father, a local politician, to send him to university in America, Lawal headed to Georgia and then Houston, where he attended the Texas Southern University.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1976, Lawal, like many of his classmates, started out as a graduate in the energy industry. First as a chemist for Dresser Industries (now Halliburton) and then as a chemical engineer with Shell Oil Refining Co.

During this time he met his wife, Eileen through a mutual friend and had his three children.

Now married and settled, it wasn't long before the innovative young Nigerian started to implement his business ideas.

In 1986 he established CAMAC, a company trading agricultural commodities such as sugar, tobacco and rice. In the early 90s he made the leap into the energy sector after the Nigerian government started to develop its energy market.

With his knowledge of Nigeria and his Houston address, Lawal was ideally positioned to attract major oil companies. In 1991 CAMAC made a deal with the oil giant Conoco, agreeing to jointly operate and share production from any Nigerian discoveries.

This turned out to be Lawal's big break.

With his political contacts, local market knowledge and now with the backing of a major oil firm, Lawal's Houston-based company became an instant player in the energy industry.

As Lawal told CNN: "That partnership I believe was the cornerstone of the CAMAC that you know today. Subsequently with that credibility and the advantage of partnering with Conoco, we were also able to partner with BP and also with Statoil of Norway and currently we have made a partnership with Eni, the largest Italian company, which is one of the top five oil companies in the world."

Now CAMAC has offices in London, Johannesburg, Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria and is involved in oil exploration, refining and trading.

He was awarded the USAfrica Business Person of the Year in 1997 and in 2002 CAMAC was named the largest African-American owned company on the Black Enterprise 100s list.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, Lawal moved to America in 1971 CAMAC was established by Lawal in 1986 as an agricultural trading company Now CAMAC is a multi-billion dollar oil empire Lawal was awarded the USAfrica Business Person of the Year in 1997 (CNN) -- Nigerian-born entrepreneur Kase Lawal is the epitome of the American dream.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
kaselawal.com - Registered at Namecheap.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Antonio Oladeinde-Fernandez: Nigeria's Reclusive Billionaire - Celebrities - Nigeria

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Celebrities / Antonio Oladeinde-Fernandez: Nigeria's Reclusive Billionaire (96784 Views)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
Until today, billionaire South African Tokyo Sexwale (prounced "seh-wa-le," unfortunately) was the country's housing minister.

But Jacob Zuma's leadership shake-up saw Sexwale - the major anti-apartheid crusader and diamond mogul considered to be a political challenger to the president - removed from the cabinet.

Sexwale has a crazy life story to go with that name (the "Tokyo" moniker derives from his childhood love of karate).

In the late 1970s, he was charged with terrorism and conspiracy and sent to Robben Island where he met fellow political prisoner Nelson Mandela, who had been sent there 12 years prior.

Sexwale was released in 1990, and like something out a movie, he ended up marrying Judy van Vuuren, the paralegal that represented him while he was in prison.

When he came to power in 1994, Mandela named Sexwale premier of Gauteng province, the region home to both Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Sexwale would eventually leave politics for business, becoming a major oil and diamond mining magnate, though his name was floated as a possible successor to Mandela. That honor would go to Thabo Mbeki. In 2007, Sexwale reportedly planned to challenge Mbeki, but never did.

Things would also turn sour for Sexwale's marriage, scandalizing South Africa with a bitter divorce in February. It got ugly. Sexwale accused his wife of emailing out illegal hardcore pornography while she accused him of shielding his finances.

Those finances are impressive. Sexwale made an absolute fortune from his company, which was once lauded by fellow diamond tycoon Harry Oppenheimer. In 2009, Sexwale declared his wealth to be approximately $2 billion rand (nearly $200 million).

The divorce also helped shine some light on all of Sexwale's toys too: the requisite yacht, vineyards, Learjet, and even a $70 million island.

In 2009, Zuma appointed Sexwale as Minister of Human Settlements, but it was no secret that Sexwale still had presidential aspirations.

Now out of power, those ambitions will have to wait. At least this is his new girlfriend.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TOKYO SEXWALE: Meet The Billionaire Diamond Magnate Who Went To Jail With Nelson Mandela

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Until today, billionaire South African Tokyo Sexwale (prounced "seh-wa-le," unfortunately) was the country's housing minister. But Jacob Zuma's leadership shake-up saw Sexwale - the major anti-apartheid crusader and diamond mogul considered to be a political challenger to the president - removed from the cabinet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Industrialist Manu Chandaria. FILE

Tycoon Manu Chandaria was Tuesday feted with the Forbes Special Lifetime Achievement Award in an honour that saw Nigeria's Agriculture minister Akinwumi Adesina declared Africa's Person of the Year.

The US publication recognised the Kenyan businessman for his achievements as an industrialist who has grown the family business, Comcraft, to at least 18 countries in Africa.

Mr Chandaria, 84, is a leading philanthropist and business leader, with his $2.5 billion Comcraft Group producing steel, plastics,and aluminium products in 45 countries. His Kenyan stable includes Mabati Rolling Mills and Kaluworks Ltd.

He is among the few Kenyan billionaires who have built wealth without relying on political links. He is also Kenya's biggest philanthropist with his Chandaria Foundation that gives away millions of dollars to causes in education, health and the arts.

Receiving his award, Mr Chandaria said his family was the backbone of his success and called on African leaders to establish a single market that allows for increased trade within the continent.

"I appeal to African leaders to make a borderless Africa. Make it a single market; let's propagate by Africa for Africa. This will open a huge market and drive our economy," said Mr Chandaria.

The unveiling of Mr Adesina as this year's Forbes Africa Person of the Year was the highlight of the Monday evening event held at Nairobi's Villa Rosa Kempinski hotel.

The minister's achievements in developing the agricultural sector in Nigeria and the continent saw him beat Zimbabwe's Strive Masiyiwa, who emerged second.

Third was Africa's billionaire Aliko Dangote, followed by South Africa's Patrice Motsepe and the founder of Zenith Bank Jim Ovia.

Mr Adesina was recognised for his work in empowering farmers in Nigeria, generating wealth in the sector and using technology to drive the growth of agriculture in his country.

The award recognises the individual who has made a significant impact in business through economic growth, creation of employment, empowering people and spearheading innovation in the continent.

Equity 's chief executive James Mwangi was last year's recipient of the award, which was held in Nigeria.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Industrialist Manu Chandaria feted by Forbes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tycoon Manu Chandaria was Tuesday feted with the Forbes Special Lifetime Achievement Award in an honour that saw Nigeria's Agriculture minister Akinwumi Adesina declared Africa's Person of the Year. The US publication recognised the Kenyan businessman for his achievements as an industrialist who has grown the family business, Comcraft, to at least 18 countries in Africa.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Group Chairman of MTN, Chairman of Pembani Group

Phuthuma Nhleko is the Group Chairman of MTN, a pan-African and Middle Eastern mobile telephony company operating in 21 countries, and served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer of the company from 2002 until March 2011. He is also Chairman of the Pembani Group, a diversified holding company with interests in petroleum, energy, cement and natural resources. Mr. Nhleko also serves as a non-executive director on the boards of BP plc and Anglo plc.

Under Mr. Nhleko, MTN's subscriber base rose to over 150 million and market cap grew from US$6 billion in 1994 to over US$35billion. It is the fifth largest company on the JSE by market capitalisation and the largest company by market capitalisation listed on the JSE which maintains its primary listing in South Africa.

Some of the milestones in Mr. Nhleko's career at MTN include the 2003 Nhleko-led management leveraged buy-in to MTN as a result of which MTN's management acquired about 18% of the group. At US$700 million, the transaction was the largest management buy in of its kind in South Africa's history. In addition, Mr. Nhleko also successfully concluded in 2006, the acquisition of Investcom Limited for US$5.5 billion from the Mikati family of Lebanon. At the time of the transaction Investcom was a mobile operator with operations in the Middle East and West Africa.
Under Mr. Nhleko's leadership, MTN and/or its subsidiary companies won numerous awards and distinctions including MTN being in the top 10 companies in the prestigious American Business Week Survey that identified companies that showed vision, growth and are global companies of the future. Mr. Nhleko was voted South Africa's business leader of the year in 2009 by the CEO's of South Africa's Top 100 companies - a vote by his peers in the prestigious South African Business Leader of Year Sunday Times award. Mr. Nhleko`s past directorships include the GSM Association, Johnnic Holdings, Nedbank Group, Bidvest Group, Alexander Forbes and Old Mutual SA.

Search

Text Widget

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque, id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis. Nullam sit amet enim.

Categories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Phuthuma Nhleko is the Group Chairman of MTN, a pan-African and Middle Eastern mobile telephony company operating in 21 countries, and served as Group President and Chief Executive Officer of the company from 2002 until March 2011. He is also Chairman of the Pembani Group, a diversified holding company with interests in petroleum, energy, cement and natural resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tony Elumelu transformed a floundering Nigerian commercial bank into a $2 billion (market capitalization) Pan-African financial services behemoth spanning 20 African countries. Now he's committing his resources towards grooming Africa's next generation of business leaders.
Africapitalism. It's a word you've probably never heard before - but it's an idea that is likely to burst onto center stage in 2012 as Africa maintains its upward spiral towards economic growth and significance. According to Tony Elumelu, the Nigerian-born banker who coined the term, Africapitalism is an "economic philosophy that embodies the African private sector's commitment to the economic transformation of Africa through long-term investments that create economic prosperity and social wealth."

Tony Elumelu, who easily ranks as one of Africa's most influential business leaders, is vehemently championing this new philosophy. A trained economist, Elumelu registered his presence in Nigeria's financial services industry in 1997 when he led a small group of investors to take over a distressed medium-sized commercial bank in Lagos. The acquired bank was subsequently renamed Standard Trust Bank (STB), and by the following year, Elumelu was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the bank. He was only 34 at the time, and the youngest CEO of a commercial bank in Africa's most populated country.

Between 1998 and 2005, he restored STB to profitability, expanding its retail network around the country and introducing a diverse range of financial services to the institution. By 2005, STB had become one of the 5 largest commercial banks in the country. That same year, he orchestrated one of the largest mergers in Nigerian corporate history when he united STB and the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Nigeria's 3 rd-largest bank at the time.

The merged bank adopted the UBA name, and Elumelu was appointed as Chief Executive of the bank. Within ten years as helmsman of the institution, Elumelu helped spin the bank from a single-country bank into a diversified Pan-African financial services institution. From its traditional commercial banking route, UBA spread its tentacles to encompass more sophisticated financial services like asset management, merchant banking, investment advisory services, stockbroking, private equity and life insurance. He set up branches of UBA in over 20 African countries and established operations in the United Kingdom and the U.S.A.

Elumelu stepped down as CEO of the bank in 2010 following a Central Bank directive limiting the tenure of bank chiefs to 10 years. But by the time he had vacated the CEO job, he had built the UBA Group into a $2 billion (market capitalization) financial services behemoth with over $12 billion in assets and over 10,000 employees.

A few weeks after Elumelu stepped down from UBA, he founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) - an Africa-based and focused non-profit which seeks to enhance and facilitate the competitiveness and growth of Africa's private sector. Among several initiatives, the foundation mentors young African professionals across the continent through its annual African Markets Internship Programme (AMIP) - a highly competitive 10-week program which places top African MBA students in fast growing African-owned companies across the continent. The foundation also provides strategic grants to African-focused leadership and entrepreneurship non-profit organizations of African origin. Over the past few months, Elumelu has become one of the continent's most sought-after business leaders and thinkers, and is now a frequent commencement speaker and advisor at several of Africa's top business schools. He's still a businessman though. At about the same time he launched his foundation, he founded Heirs Holdings, a Nigerian-based, African-focused investment company which gobbles up significant stakes in companies across important sectors of the economy.

Elumelu was one of Africa's most sought-after business speakers in 2011. Among other speaking engagements, he was a headline speaker along with Richard Branson in the inaugural edition of Legatum's highly-publicized 2011 Convergence Africa conference which was held last December in Nairobi, Kenya. To a large extent, Elumelu's ideas on Africapitalism, impact investing and economic development will feature prominently in shaping Africa's economic growth story in 2012.
Who are the African business leaders whose ideas and actions will shape Africa's economic renaissance in 2012? Email me your thoughts at mnsehe (at) forbes.com. Follow me on Twitter @EmperorDIV

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Meet Tony Elumelu, Africa's Frontline Business Leader

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tony Elumelu transformed a floundering Nigerian commercial bank into a $2 billion (market capitalization) Pan-African financial services behemoth spanning 20 African countries. Now he's committing his resources towards grooming Africa's next generation of business leaders. Africapitalism.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Edited by Kerry A. Dolan and Luisa Kroll. Reported by Zina Moukheiber and Kate Vinton with additional reporting from Christopher Helman.
The number of billionaires in Africa-and the size of their fortunes-continues to drop. On this year's list, FORBES is only including African billionaires living in Africa, instead of read "

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Edited by Kerry A. Dolan and Luisa Kroll. Reported by Zina Moukheiber and Kate Vinton with additional reporting from Christopher Helman. The number of billionaires in Africa-and the size of their fortunes-continues to drop.

# data[].attributes.headline
Black Entrepreneur Profiles (list and brief bio)

# data[].attributes.subject
Black Entrepreneur Profiles (list and brief bio)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Full List: Black Entrepreneurs, Black CEO, Black Executive, Black Billionaires, Entrepreneur Profile

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Born: c.1960, Kano, Nigeria; Position: Chairman, CEO; Company: BUA Group; Industry: Manufacturing, Real Estate Development, Oil & Gas and Shipping; Country: Nigeria

# data[].attributes.headline
African American Entrepreneurs  (includes multiple videos)

# data[].attributes.subject
African American Entrepreneurs  (includes multiple videos)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore Biography.com's collection of African-American entrepreneurs and industry leaders, including Edward T. Lewis, Madam C.J. Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks and Wally Amos. View full biographies, photos, videos and more, only at Biography.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Black Enterprise magazine was first published in 1970, the American economic landscape was in a period of transition that resulted from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement; the outlawing of de jure racial segregation created pathways to black mobility and the emergence of a black middle class. Created with the intent both to serve as a resource for budding and current black entrepreneurs and to highlight the achievements or even the mere existence of black entrepreneurship, Black Enterprise has continued to become a leading guide on issues facing black entrepreneurs and the people who are succeeding in spite of such challenges.

Having established the magazine after discovering a lack of information on the then-nascent and expanding black entrepreneur community in the American workforce, Black Enterprise founder Earl G. Graves, Sr.'s achievements in the media and publishing industry has led him to become one of history's most notable black entrepreneurs. In the spirit of Black History Month, we take a look at a few black entrepreneurs throughout history, focusing primarily on those figures who have rarely been covered - African-American entrepreneurs from the 18th century to early-20th century.

Here are 21 of the most successful black entrepreneurs throughout history:

James Forten

A Philadelphia sailmaker, Forten invented a sailmaking device that enabled him to create a highly profitable business. By the 1830s, he was worth an estimated $100,000 (or approximately $2.5 million today, when adjusted for inflation). Using his acquired wealth, Forten invested in many abolitionist initiatives, even having served as the vice-president of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
Recommended Reading: A Gentleman of Color: The Life of James of Forten.
Samuel T. Wilcox

In the 1850s, Wilcox became a wholesale and retail grocer in Cincinnati (on top of establishing a pickling and preserving business). He was also one of the first to establish high-quality grocery stores, offering only the fanciest and best brands of hams, dried fruit, soaps, and other articles. Because of this, most of his customers were people of wealth - likely contributing to his eventual annual sales of $140,000 per year (approximately $4.2 million, adjusted for inflation).

Paul Cuffee/Paul Cuffe

Cuffee, the son of an Aquinnah Wampanoag woman and Ghanaian Ashanti man, was a successful 18th century sea captain and businessman. His all-black crews served the Atlantic Coast and sailed to Europe and Africa. After the American Revolution, he helped the British effort to resettle freed slaves.
Recommended Reading: Memoirs of Captain Paul Cuffee.
Stephen Smith

Smith grew up as an indentured servant in Pennsylvania. From a young age, he was assigned to work in the lumberyards by Thomas Boude, whose wealth stemmed from his extensive lumber business. After buying his freedom for $50 at the age of 21, he continued to work in the lumberyards until establishing his own lumber business in 1822, as well as dealing coal. By the 1850s, Smith was grossing $100,000 in annual sales. By 1857, Smith was worth $500,000 (approximately $13.5 million today). On top of being a businessman, Smith was a minister and served as chairman of the black abolitionist organization in Columbia, PA.

William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr.

Leidesdorff was one of America's earliest and most successful mixed-race businessmen. He was a prominent figure in trade (establishing a successful ship yard, lumber yard, and ship chandlery shop) and real estate around the early- to mid- 1800s, having built San Francisco's very first hotel, as well as having served as the city's first treasurer. He's noted as America's first millionaire of black descent; in 1856, his estate was worth more than $1.4 million (which would be equivalent to more than $20 million today, adjusted for inflation).
Recommended Reading: William Alexander Leidesdorff - First Black Millionaire, American Consul and California Pioneer.
Robert Gordon

Born a slave, Gordon eventually purchased his freedom in 1846. In 1847, he invested $15,000 in a Cincinnati coal yard and employed bookkeepers and laborers. White coal dealers in Cincinnati - in their attempt to price Gordon out of the market - sold their coal below market rates; Gordon employed mulattoes to purchase the cheaper coal, eventually selling the supply at a high price after the white coal dealers had little left in their reserves. At the time of this death (1884), he left an estate worth $200,000 (nearly $5 million by today's standards).

"Free Frank" (Frank McWorter)

An American slave who eventually bought his freedom, Free Frank became a saltpeter manufacturer and businessman. He saw particularly high success during the War of 1812 when saltpeter was in high demand. Because of his success, he was able to buy the freedom of 16 members of his family - with many more even after his death (his heirs used his inheritance to free more relatives). Free Frank is also known to be the first African-American to found a town in the United States; in 1836, he founded the town of New Philadelphia in Illinois.
Recommended Reading: Free Frank: A Black Pioneer on the Antebellum Frontier.
Clara Brown

An ex-slave, Brown moved to Colorado in the late 1850s during the gold rush, and managed to establish a successful laundry business (on top of serving as a mid-wife, cook, and nurse maid). She used that money to invest in various real estate, eventually owning 16 lots in Denver, 7 houses in Central City, and some other property and mines around Colorado.
Recommended Reading: Clara Brown: African-American Pioneer.
Isaac Myers

While not necessarily an entrepreneur, Myers was an influential figure in creating one of the first trade unions made up of African-Americans. After 1,000 black ship caulkers lost employment in Baltimore after the Civil War, Myers organized the workers into a union, creating the Colored Caulkers Trade Union Society. Despite interest from the National Labor Union (a predecessor to the American Federation of Labor that, at the time, was made of all-white members), black members persistently faced opposition to membership. The Colored National Labor Union was established as a result, with Myers at the helm. His role as president with the trade union was succeeded by Frederick Douglass.

Annie Malone

One of America's first and most prominent African-American businesswomen, Malone founded and developed Poro College, a commercial and educational business focused on cosmetics for black women. Born to former slaves, Malone would later develop a chemical that could straighten black women's hair without causing damage to the hair or scalp. Poro College as an institution of learning was established as a way to teach people about black cosmetology. Through the school and the business, Malone created jobs for 75,000 women around the world. She's recorded as the first black female millionaire in the United States, with a reported $14 million in assets in 1920 (a whopping $167 million by today's standards).
Recommended Reading: "A Friend to All Mankind": Mrs. Annie Turbo Malone and Poro College.
Frederick Patterson & Charles Richard Patterson

Frederick Patterson was the first African-American to manufacture cars. His father, Charles Richard Patterson, cofounded the carriage business C.R. Patterson & Son Company and eventually bought out his 20-year partner, J.P. Lowe (who was a white man). After his father's death, Frederick Patterson developed the Patterson-Greenfield car and was in direct competition with Henry Ford's Model T. He later converted his business to the Greenfield Bus Body Company.
Recommended Reading: The C.R. Patterson & Son Company: Black Pioneers in the Vehicle Building, 1865-1939.
Charles Clinton Spaulding, Aaron McDuffie Moore, John Merrick

The three cofounded the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1898 - the now-oldest and largest African-American life insurance company in the United States. At the time, all three men were members of the Durham community: Spaulding, the general manager of a grocery company; Moore, a practicing physician; and Merrick, an entrepreneur with barbershops across Durham. At the time, Durham was referred to as "Black Wall Street", notably for the economic successes blacks were seeing through business. The company still stands today - with assets estimated at $162 million.
Recommended Reading: Black Business in the New South: A Social History of the NC Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Booker T. Washington

One of the most significant figures in post-Reconstruction America. While he was never technically an entrepreneur, his life work was committed to advancing the educational and economic position of blacks in the United States. He authored 14 books - Up From Slavery continuing to be widely read today. Through his work, he established deep relationships with renowned entrepreneurs and philanthropists, including Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, and William Howard Taft; these connections allowed him to funnel huge donations to several initiatives and programs aimed at educating African-Americans. He also founded the National Negro Business League.
Recommended Reading: The Booker T. Washington Collection: 8 Classic Works.
Maggie Lena Walker

Walker was the first black woman in the United States to charter a bank. By pooling her community's money, she formed the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, of which she served as the first president. Later, when the bank merged with two other Richmond, VA banks to form The Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, she served as the chairman of its board of directors.
Recommended Reading: Maggie L. Walker: Pioneering Banker and Community Leader.
Madam C.J. Walker

Born under the name "Sarah Breedlove", Madam C.J. Walker developed a special line of beauty and hair product for black women under her company, Madame C.J Walker Manufacturing. Much like Annie Malone, she was one of the first American women to become a self-made millionaire; in fact, it was through Malone's Poro College that she first learned about the science of black cosmetology. Many of her philanthropy efforts went towards anti-lynching campaigns.
Recommended Reading: On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker.
Arthur G. Gaston

Gaston was a serial entrepreneur who established a set of different businesses across Birmingham, AL. Beginning with a funeral home, as well as a burial insurance company (the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company), Gaston later established the Citizens Savings and Loan Association, the A.G. Gaston Construction Company, and a financial institution (CFS Bancshares). Throughout the 1960s, Gaston was one of the richest black men in America, and was the leading employer of blacks in Alabama.
Recommended Reading: Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire.
John H. Johnson

Renowned businessman and publisher, Johnson was the founder of Johnson Publishing Company, which publishes both Ebony and Jet magazines. The Negro Digest, the predecessor to Johnson's Ebony, was his attempt to create a publication for the black community that mimicked the style of the Reader's Digest. In order to fund that initial venture, Johnson used a $500 loan that was borrowed against his mother's furniture. In 1982, Johnson became the first African-American to appear on Forbes 400. Currently, the Johnson Publishing Company employs more than 2,600 people and has sales of nearly $400 million.
Recommended Reading: Succeeding Against the Odds.
Reginald F. Lewis

Listed on the Forbest 400 in 1992, Lewis was considered the richest African-American man in the 1980s. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he founded the TLC Group L.P., a venture capital firm, in 1983. Through the firm, he bought the home sewing pattern business McCall Pattern Company for $22.5 million, and then sold it three years later for $65 million. In 1987, he bought Beatrice International Foods for $985 million and renamed it TLC Beatrice International; the snack food, beverage, and grocery store conglomerate became the largest, black-owned and -managed business in the country. In that same year, the company reported a revenue of $1.8 billion, making it the first black-owned company to have more than $1 billion annual sales.
Recommended Reading: Why Should White Guys Have All The Fun? How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
21 Most Successful Black Entrepreneurs Throughout History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When Black Enterprise magazine was first published in 1970, the American economic landscape was in a period of transition that resulted from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement; the outlawing of de jure racial segregation created pathways to black mobility and the emergence of a black middle class.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Modified Business Plan for ACCPA Scholars.docx

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Magic Johnson & Peter Guber Talk About Success on Winning Voices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tyra Banks - America's Next Top Mogul Part 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Tyra Banks - Model & Talkshow Host | Mini Bio | BIO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How a Young Michael Jackson Amazed Berry Gordy | Oprah’s Master Class | Oprah Winfrey Network

# data[].attributes.headline
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (Charles Clinton Spaulding)

# data[].attributes.subject
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (Charles Clinton Spaulding)