Black_Elite

The Black Elite in American History It has been said that the Black elite in America can be traced all the way back to the days of slavery. When some slaves arrived to America they were already skilled in many of the skills that would push them ahead of their white counterparts. A few blacks got into the middle class society by attending black institutions of learning such as: Howard, Fisk, Morehouse and Atlanta Universities. These historically black universities educated many and allowed blacks to better integrate into society. Religious beliefs were also different from the norm for the black elite. The black often joined the Episcopal Church or the Congregational Church. The elite attended these two churches because there were not any other blacks attending them. The black elite often separated themselves from the blacks. There were groups that were by invitation only like the Jack and Jill group. The Jack and Jill group was a group that helped families and their children to meet other elite families that wanted better education and community services that would help improve their quality of life. They had private summer camps and parks. The parents of the black elite were often doctors, lawyers, teachers, and dentists. The black elite often wanted the best education possible for their children. For this reason many families sent their children to only private schools. When the children were ready for college, they moved off to attend as I stated to Howard, Morehouse, and Fisk University. Spelman University was also a popular institution. Howard University has been popular for generations, with many students being of third or fourth generation alumni. Judge Henry Kennedy, of the superior court of Washington stated "When I was growing up here, Howard was an indicator of reaching the top." (Pg. 67) Spelman University was the first university established for black women in the late 1800's. It was mandatory for every student to attend church service at Sisters Chapel each and every day, regardless of what their church affiliation was. Morehouse at the time was the only historical black four-year college for black males. Fisk University was a coed university that attracted a lot of very intellectual elite blacks of that time. The black elite began forming before the Civil War when free blacks had acquired their own property. Free blacks moved their families to other states to try to make a living to provide security for their families. Research has shown through court records, deeds, and wills that most free families came from relationships or marriages between white women and black men who were either free or working as servants. These relationships were not uncommon among the working class before the rules for segregation came to the forefront. There were also relationships between whites and blacks that were not consensual. White slaveholder often took advantage of their black female slaves. Despite common belief there were also slave owners who married and had caring relationships with black slave women. Even to the point that they freed them and their children. Some slave owners took care for their mixed-race children by making sure they got an education. Sometimes they were only taught a trade or skill. The property the father passed on to the child was important in helping those mixed-race children get a good start in life. Those mixed-children patterned themselves and their lives after white ideologies and society. Because of the advantages that they had in acquiring property and education, the black elite began to exercise leadership roles within the church, black schools, and community. Catering services and other skilled employment were important because they had the white contacts and patrons needed to stay successful and make money. The black elite also had the benefits of living within the white neighborhoods. This isolated the mixed-race black even further from the darker skinned African American. The mixed-race blacks ran into opposition to the American Dream by Jim Crow laws that prohibited certain rights if a person was of African heritage, many African-Americans were forced to become entrepreneurs by creating their own businesses that served their own people of color. Many of those businesses included black-owned hotels, insurance companies, funeral homes and different type of retail outlets. A "Black Wall Street" once existed in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and the Georgetown area of Washington D.C. was known for its educated African American professionals at the time that segregation was at the forefront. Business ownership among African-Americans was the highest during the era of legal segregation. Due to integration following the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, many black-owned businesses had to shut down and close because they did not have the ability to compete with white-owned establishments that had better access to financing. The Civil Rights Movement and affirmative action change so many things for the black elite. As the old elite died away, these new movements allowed new black elite to emerge. It transformed the black elite to just to be educated, but to become business owners, actors, and singers. References Henretta, James A., et al. America: A Concise History. 4th Edition, Bedford/St. Martins: Boston, 2009 Primary Source Packet. Bethel University: McKenzie, TN, 2005 Educating a Black Elite. (2000, July). Retrieved June 24, 2013, from http://www.lagriffedulion.f2s.com/blackelite.htm Holland, E. (2010, February 25). The Black Elite in America |. Retrieved June 26, 2013, from http://edwardianpromenade.com/society/the-black-elite-in-america/