Black women had just as much as rights as the Man, they both could own property. Kind of like how in America, how Annie Malone and Madam Cj Walker became one the first black millionaire women before any white women in America. Annie Malone & Madam CJ walker would drop out of high school, to manifest their goals and achieve them thru focus. Because of the situation of “Jim Crow”, this would also encourage black entrepreneurship and unity in the community with black schools and neighborhoods, because all we had was us.
Biddy Mason was worth about $300,000 in the late 1800’s. That’s prob $1 million in today’s standard. Mason and her family moved to Los Angeles where her daughter married the son of Robert and Minnie Owens. Mason worked as midwife and nurse, saved her money and purchased land in the heart of what is now downtown Los Angeles. She educated her children and with her wealth became a philanthropist to the entire Los Angeles community.
Lulu White had a $40,000 house during the 1880’s. She blew over $150k in investment. Lulu got rich from street money. So she won’t be in the official legal books for earliest richest black women. Lulu White was the most notorious madam in Storyville.
People like Madam CJ Walker & Annie Malone became the first millionaire women in America starting in 1915, thanks to Jim Crow, creating a system that separated whites from blacks. These independent black women becoming rich, would lead up to the women’s feminist suffrage movement in the 1920’s.
Before the white or Native American women could do it. Two black women, who are one generation removed from slavery, accomplished more than any white woman has done since pilgrims landed in 1607. The urgency for white women to have more power increased after watching the same black women, they deemed inferior, actually surpassed them.
Sara Rector was a millionaire before, in 1913. In September 1913, The Kansas City Star local newspaper published the headline, “Millions to a Negro Girl – Sarah Rector, 10-Year Old, Has Income of $300 A Day From Oil.
The moral of this story: Black women in America , have a track record of being more successful at dealing with adversity than any other race of women in American history.
Photo: Deanne Roye