The History of Black Business in America: Capitalism, Race, Entrepreneurship - 2nd Edition by Juliet E K Walker (Paperback)

About the Book

History of Black Business in America: Capitalism, Race, Entrepreneurship: Volume 1, To 1865

Book Synopsis

Despite almost four centuries of black independent self-help enterprises, the agency of African Americans in attempting to forge their own economic liberation through business activities and entrepreneurship has remained noticeably absent from the historical record. Juliet Walker's award-winning book is the only source that provides a detailed study of the continuity, diversity, and multiplicity of independent self-help economic activities among African Americans. This new, updated edition covers African American business history through the end of the Civil War and features the first comprehensive account of black business during this era.

Review Quotes

"A richly detailed, sweeping examination of black business from precolonial Africa to the conclusion of the Civil War. . . . Highly recommended." --CHOICE

"Like Du Bois's work a century before, Walker's book will attract scholars to the field of black business history and compel them to realize how this subject sheds considerable light on many aspects of American business history." --Business History Review

"This massive study does indeed break new ground, and in a big way. . . . It has interpretative depth and substance, stressing the African source of a mercantile ethos among blacks. . . . To be sure, no one can now contend that blacks lack an entrepreneurial tradition. . . . It is a first-rate piece of historical scholarship." --Journal of American Ethnic History

"Walker has produced an excellent, highly readable, and informative book that will stand the test for years to come as the standard in the field of black history. It is a superb contribution to the literature of African American history." --Journal of American History

"Walker makes a magnificent contribution to the literature on African American entrepreneurship and capitalism. Shattering myths, pointing to possibilities, and refining our thinking about procrustean racism, Professor Walker explores perceptively a world where blacks have been much maligned and vilified. . . . No effective discussion of the black community can go on without Professor Walker's book as a basis for understanding the peculiarities and promises of Black life in America." --H-Net