I grew up in the Philippines without ever seeing Black people around, much less knowing any. Only after I came to the United States as an international student in 1977 would I meet Black people for the first time.
50 Companies Founded by Black Entrepreneurs
By Peter Richman, Stacker News
On 2/26/21 at 8:00 PM EST
The entrepreneurial spirit is a cornerstone of American culture, but history books too often leave out the extensive contributions of minorities and women. In honor of Black History Month, Stacker is shining a light on 50 Black entrepreneurs who made a lasting influence on the business world and, often in the process, civil rights from the Revolutionary War to today.
The abrupt end to slavery in 1865 following the conclusion of the Civil War freed about 4 million people but left them without a clear trajectory forward. Black Codes afforded freed people the right to sue in court and marry but stipulated other discriminatory rules like keeping them from serving on juries or in state militias.
One of the co-founders of Richmond-based CarLotz is working for another company now and has written a book that he says is partly addressed to his â18-year-old selfâ as well as other aspiring entrepreneurs.
âThe idea of it is that good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment,â said Aaron Montgomery, who co-founded CarLotz in 2011 along with Michael Bor and Will Boland.
CarLotz, which sells used vehicles on consignment and splits profits with the owners, opened its first store in 2011 off Midlothian Turnpike in Chesterfield County. It now has eight locations across Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Illinois and Texas.