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INTRODUCTION This book has five overriding purposes: 1. to inspire people to develop an entrepreneurial mind-set through the compelling and uplifting stories of slaves and half-free blacks who achieved a measure of financial success through business enter- prise despite adverse and oppressive conditions 2. to provide little-known information to the general public concern- ing the economic history of blacks in America from the 1600s to the present (with an emphasis on the black entrepreneur/business owner) 3. to explain why black Americans still lag behind their white counter- parts in wealth and income 4. to demonstrate why increased entrepreneurship in the black com- munity is one of the most promising ways to achieve black economic parity in America and 5. to equip the would-be entrepreneur—regardless of his or her race or national origin—with the necessary tools to successfully launch, grow, and ultimately transfer ownership in a business venture to future gen- erations. Accordingly, the ultimate goal of this book is to provide suf- ficient information and motivation to help individuals increase their economic productivity and add value to all their endeavors. The entrepreneurial mind thrives on ideas. Sometimes they are new ideas. Sometimes they are creative approaches to old ideas that bring new innova- tions that breathe life back into lagging projects or processes. The success