Making a Way Out of No Way: Rare Stock Certificates from Black-Owned Enterprises that Changed History

#NationalBlackBusinessMonth

#DunbarAmusementCorp #PhiladelphiaPA

#JohnHopeHomes #AtlantaGA

Black folks have historically demonstrated remarkable resilience and creativity, often finding ways to thrive and create opportunities in a society that is systematically designed to work against them, embodying the spirit of "making a way out of no way."

One area of collecting that's underrepresented is certificates for Black owned companies. Here are two prime examples.

The Dunbar Amusement Company was founded in 1918 by Edward C. Brown and Andrew Stevens, Jr., two prominent Black Philadelphians. They also created the Brown & Stevens Bank, one of the most successful banks north of the #MasonDixonLine. Stevens was the only Black member of the State Republican Committee, and Brown was president of the largest Black realty corporation in New York City. However, they realized there was another void to fill: the city’s #ForrestTheatre refused to let Black residents inside. So, Brown & Stevens announced plans to build their own theatre and in December 1919, the #DunbarTheatre opened with much fanfare. It attracted the #LafayettePlayers theatre group from Harlem, hosted benefits for the NAACP and Marcus Garvey, and provided high-class entertainment for its patrons. Shuffle Along debuted at the Dunbar before becoming the first all-Black musical review on Broadway!

The John Hope Homes (also known as the University Homes) was the first federally funded housing project in the United States. As thousands of Black families struggled to find affordable housing during the #GreatDepression, Dr. John Hope, the first Black president of #MorehouseCollege (Atlanta), traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for more affordable housing. Dr. Hope partnered with a white financier, Charles F. Palmer, and together they purchased land for two housing developments: University Homes (for Black residents) and Techwood Homes (for white residents). The immeasurable impact of Dr. Hope is too much to sum up in one Wix Blog post, so please research this incredible man!

These two stock certificates not only represent resourcefulness, but the Black community’s willingness to come together and support each other in times of need.

#BlackHistoryisEverywhere

#NegroHistoryDetective

#ArtifactualJourney

Courtesy of Nanny Jack & Co Archives