If there is one thing Black folks will do, it’s persevere. In a country built by our forced labor and without a single thought for our humanity, we’re going to rise. Alonzo Herndon is a prime example.
Born into slavery, Alonzo was the son of his white enslaver and an enslaved mother. Once free, Herndon supported his family in any way he could, until he opened his first barber shop.
His business multiplied quickly. He moved it to Atlanta, Georgia in 1883. By 1904, he owned three barber shops and catered to Atlanta’s elite in business, law, and politics. Herndon would see his wealth and holdings continue to increase. By 1905, he owned more than 100 rental properties.
That same year, he purchased a failing insurance company and incorporated it to become Atlanta Life Insurance Company - the third largest Black-owned insurance company in the nation. By his death in 1927, Herndon had become Atlanta’s first Black millionaire and one of the wealthiest Black men in the country.
A founding member of the National Negro Business League, Herndon always made it a point to reinvest his time and wealth into the Black community. He achieved all of that, having come from slavery. If he can rise like that, then so can we.