Description
Book SynopsisThe Black real estate entrepreneur Philip Payton played a central role in Harlem’s transformation into a Black community in the early twentieth century. In this biography, Kevin McGruder explores Payton’s career and its implications for the history of residential segregation.
Trade ReviewKevin McGruder renders a poignant and revealing portrait of one of Black America’s pioneering entrepreneurs, the Harlem real estate impresario Philip Payton. This timely and important biography brings to life the limits of trying to achieve racial justice by playing by the capitalist rules of a segregated economy. -- Khalil Gibran Muhammad, author of
The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban AmericaThis meticulously researched must-read biography of Harlem’s pioneering Black businessman Philip Payton masterfully shows the promises and pitfalls of Black capitalism on the eve of the New Negro Renaissance. -- Shannon King, author of
Whose Harlem Is This, Anyway? Community Politics and Grassroots Activism during the New Negro EraHow do you promote racial equity but still maximize profits? That was the balance that Philip Payton had to strike as a Black real estate broker in Harlem in the early 1900s. His Afro-American Realty Company said “Race prejudice is a luxury.” But this fascinating biography shows what a formidable obstacle it was. -- Laurence Pearl, former attorney at the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Despite his extraordinarily significant role in American urban history, Philip Payton’s story has remained obscure and elusive. McGruder weaves together an engaging biography of a complex figure whose ups and downs in Harlem reveal the halting progress and profound tradeoffs that attended efforts to find decent housing for Black Americans. -- Brian Goldstein, author of
The Roots of Urban Renaissance: Gentrification and the Struggle over HarlemKevin McGruder reveals the central role Philip Payton played in increasing the Black population in housing by maximizing profits and promoting racial equality. This is an expert addition to the growing list of biographies on major lesser-known African Americans. -- David Canton, author of
Raymond Pace Alexander: A New Negro Lawyer Fights for Civil Rights in PhiladelphiaMcGruder's meticulous concern for the facts and the community's history are compelling. * New York Amsterdam News *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Paytons Before and in Westfield
2. The Provincial in New York City
3. Entering the Field of Battle
4. Battles in the Streets and the Courtroom
5. To Liberia and Back
6. Fifty Years of Freedom National
7. The Last Big Deal
Epilogue
Chronology
Notes
Bibliography
Index
