Surviving and Thriving Despite Jim Crow: Durham’s “Black Wall Street”
Surviving and Thriving Despite Jim Crow: Durham’s “Black Wall Street”
At the beginning of the 20th century, African Americans in North Carolina and throughout the United States faced many challenges. Jim Crow laws and expectations were rampant and African Americans in cities such as Wilmington, NC, were the victim of white supremacy campaigns and violence. Yet, in the midst of such racial injustice and intolerance, a black business district began to flourish in Durham, NCin the late 1890s. In the followingactivities, students will explore how various black entrepreneurs thrivedin Durham’s downtown,so much so thatDurham’s Parrish Street was soon known as“Black Wall Street.” Through readings, class discussion, primary source examination, partner activities, and group activities, students will gain a sense of the challenges overcome and successes experienced by the various black entrepreneurs and businesses on Black Wall Street. In a creative culminating project, students will apply what they have learned to create their own revitalization plan for Parrish Street today.
To view the accompanying PPT, click here.