Summary of Shomari Wills’s Black Fortunes

Journalist Shomari Wills’s great-great-uncle, John Mott Drew, was a millionaire. His father had been a slave, and his story made Shomari realize that African Americans’ early achievements are often little known. At the time, it was revolutionary for an African American to become rich. In Black Fortunes (2018), Shomari tells the success stories of America’s first black millionaires, including Mary Ellen Pleasant, Robert Reed Church, O.W. Gurley, Hannah Elias, Annie Turnbo Malone, and Madam C.J. Walker. They were often attacked and demonized for their race and achievements, but this did not stop them from securing their legacy. They built towns, cultures, and helped change the course of history for black people.