June 19th marks Juneteenth, the date in 1865 when a federal order was enforced to free all slaves. Although this date is still not a federal holiday, most banks, universities, and companies acknowledge it is as an official holiday.
Since then, many historical and contemporary African Americans have helped mold and shape the financial industry.
O.W. Gurley was the founder of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, OK, also known as black Wall Street.
Ernesta Procope, who is still with us today, is the founder of commercial insurance firm E.G. Bowman.
Alonzo Herndon was a former slave who founded the Atlanta Family Life Insurance Company and was one of the first Black millionaires in the country.
These are just some of the brave men and women helped and continue to inspire and shape both the financial industry and created opportunities for all races and genders to live with lifestyle security into our latter years in life.
Learn more here.
