The Rise of Durham’s Black Wall Street

The History of the South’s Most Prosperous African American Business District During Jim Crow

De: Charles River Editors

Narrado por: KC Wayman

"Of all the southern cities I have visited I found here the sanest attitude of the white people toward the blacks." – Booker T. Washington’s description of Durham

In the wake of the Civil War, African Americans attained freedom from chattel slavery, but continued to suffer discrimination both legal in the form of Jim Crow laws and de facto in the continued perception among the vast majority of white Americans that African Americans were at the very least inferior and at the most a constant dangerous presence in their communities who must be carefully controlled.

Durham, North Carolina’s "Black Wall Street" exemplifies the flourishing of Black enterprise under the constraints of Jim Crow segregation. Parrish Street became a central hub for African American businesses and financial institutions in the early 20th century. The district achieved national recognition from leaders such as Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, who regarded it as a model of Black achievement. Washington noted Durham’s relatively progressive racial climate, while Du Bois emphasized the city’s organized Black community and the extensive network of Black-owned businesses that enabled residents to fulfil nearly all their needs within their own community.

Although the physical era of Black Wall Street has concluded, its influence endures through collective memory and ongoing commemorative initiatives. This article investigates Durham’s Black Wall Street by examining its historical origins, period of economic prosperity, challenges, and lasting legacy. The following sections analyze Durham’s industrial development and the segregated context shaping its Black district, document the emergence of key institutions and leaders, assess the economic and social impact of the business ecosystem, explore the causes of its decline, and consider contemporary commemoration and lessons for Black economic empowerment.

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