page_title: Black Wall Street (Durham, North Carolina)
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Black Wall Street (Durham, North Carolina) / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Historic Black Wall Street in Durham, NC
context_page_description: Black Wall Street was the hub of African American businesses and financial services in Durham, North Carolina during the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is located on Parrish Street. It was home to Mechanics and Farmers Bank and North Carolina Mutual.
context_section_description: During a time period when disenfranchising blacks and openly violating their rights was common, the black populations of Durham were making strides in business that challenged the legitimacy of white supremacy. Black owned business in Durham can be traced back to the efforts of two African American entrepreneurs: John Merrick and Charles Spaulding. This duo provided the leadership and initiative necessary for the beginnings of Black Wall Street.
  Though able to increase African American wealth, Black Wall Street did not distribute this new found wealth equally within Durham’s Black community, Hayti. The region also promoted basic social restructuring for blacks, but did not contribute to desegregation efforts.
caption: Memorial sign of Black Wall Street in Durham Downtown
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