91视频

By Brendan Raleigh

91视频 Newswires

America鈥檚 celebration of black history hasn鈥檛 always been a monthlong affair; it in mid-February. Then, in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month.

The country鈥檚 college students were one of the driving forces behind the extension, pushing for increased awareness of the historic contributions of African-Americans 鈥� particularly on campus and in the educational system, where black history was a rarely visited topic.

Now, 40 years later, it鈥檚 easy to see how Black History Month can be applied to history classes. are recognized and emphasized, particularly often in the classroom.

But how are American colleges handling the business aspects of black history?

For Dr. Juliet E. K. Walker, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the founder of the school鈥檚 Center of Black Business History, Entrepreneurship and Technology, black business history is not a subject she visits only during Black History Month. It is a topic she includes year-round.

Her courses explore the extent to which the sale of slaves produced commodities that generated the nation鈥檚 wealth up to the Civil War, as well as more modern aspects of black business history, including buyouts of black businesses, such as Viacom鈥檚 2001 purchase of BET, parent of Black Entertainment Television.

While Walker believes American business historians focus mostly on how key figures influenced the country economically 鈥� Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford and so on 鈥� she acknowledged that these historians are including issues of diversity.

鈥淔or the most part, (they discuss) assessments of black employment in white corporate America,鈥� she said. 鈥淚s there discussion of wealthy blacks? Probably 鈥� like Oprah, Michael Jordan, Robert F. Smith, Beyonc茅 and Jay-Z.鈥�

Walker also wrote a book in 1995 titled 鈥淔ree Frank,鈥� a biography of a South Carolina slave who, once freed, became a successful frontiersman. The text is a favorite of Ken Lipartito, a history professor at Florida International University.

Like Walker, Lipartito does not wait until Black History Month to discuss black business history. He includes explorations of minority business history, in addition to the figures that Walker mentioned.

鈥淚 make sure to emphasize the diversity of actors and their experiences with regard to entrepreneurship,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o I do not confine myself to the classic 鈥榖ig names鈥� such as John D. Rockefeller or Andrew Carnegie, though I do teach about them as well. But I also have readings and classes that deal with African-Americans, immigrants and women as entrepreneurs.鈥�

Lipartito doesn鈥檛 necessarily draw a line between minority business history and the places of minorities in society as a whole.

鈥淚 like to emphasize how entrepreneurship is not just about great inventions in the way (economist Joseph) Schumpeter describes it, but changing society and expectations,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o African-Americans challenging racial assumptions about who can be a success or women shattering glass ceilings 鈥� they are entrepreneurs who are reworking our understanding of the economy and social roles and norms.鈥�

Louis Hyman, an associate professor at Cornell University鈥檚 School of Industrial & Labor Relations, echoed Walker and Lipartito in their beliefs that black business history is not just a temporary subject; it鈥檚 a topic tied intrinsically to black history as a whole.

鈥淏lack business history is a core part of my syllabus,鈥� Hyman said. 鈥淭he struggle for black business was, since emancipation, deeply connected with the struggle for black political freedom.鈥�

In particular, Hyman draws connection between African-Americans鈥� desires for economic autonomy and the Civil Rights movement.

鈥淚 think it is important to study black business because so much of the Civil Rights movement is cast as 鈥榩rogressive鈥� when really a great deal of it was a conservative, or at least pro-business, movement,鈥� he said. 鈥淎frican-Americans demanded the right to spend their money and to invest their money, like white people. This is radical under conditions of white supremacy, but not radical in a market economy. What is amazing is that white supremacy lost out.鈥�