The Black Elite

The Black Elite society started to form following the American Civil war among the free blacks that managed to acquire land (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America). Every American city had a small active black elite community who felt it was their job to be an example to the lower economic members of the black race (Wikipedia). Ranks within the black upper class were based on the darkness of one's skin, and levels of education and current job occupation (Moore) (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America) (Wikipedia). Some previous mixed- race slaves held an initial advantage because their slave holders ensured that they received an education, or acquired a trade or craft. The black elite began to exercise leadership roles in their community within the church, schools, and political societies (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America). The black elite enjoyed the privileges of living in the white neighborhoods, which further isolated them from the darker-skinned black counter parts (Wikipedia). The elite black started to that if the imitated practices of the white man they could in turn receive equivalent social standing. The Black elite represented the educated, entrepreneurs, actors, singers, and dancers (Moore).

Shortly after the Civil war to the present, Washington DC harbored the nation's largest African American population, also known as the Black Elite between 1880-1920 (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America). Although Washington DC was the black capital of the world numerous other cities such as Baltimore, Charleston, New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Chicago all had unique stories to tell from the experiences of previous enslaved persons of color (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).

Baltimore: The proximity to Washington DC meant that there resided a tight knit circle between both Baltimore and Washington natives. Baltimore's black elite society were based on the city's proximity to Washington (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America). This meant that this closed knit community of elites of both cities mingled frequently. Baltimore's elite society emerged from the “free families aligned with the city's civic, educational, and religious life for generations” (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).

Charleston: This city was one of the cities held in highest regard for the black elite. The black elite here at had deep ties to the white aristocratic societies, and on numerous occasions they even own slaves themselves (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).

New Orleans: In New Orleans it was well known that the black elite here were respected by the white aristocrat more than in any other city (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America). Their lineage as in Charleston is traced back to free people of color They enjoyed a lot of privileges that Black Elite in other cities could not enjoy. They were known for their wealth, education and as quasi citizens (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).

Philadelphia and New York: The Black elite here closely identified with the Abolitionist movement. Most of the wealth from this group came from catering. The Black Elite from Philadelphia was made up of Philadelphians, West Indians, and free born Southerners that were fair skinned (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).

Boston: The elite in Boston were even more tied to the Abolitionist movement than black elite circles in Philadelphia. The Black elite only made up 2% of the black population of the city, but they were “attorneys, physicians, salaried employees, business proprietors, and literary and musical people a part of their small, exclusive circle” (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).

Chicago: The black population in Chicago did not become recognized until the 1840s. And even then the population was made up of escaped slaves, and freed blacks from the North and South. In the other words the Black Elite here was few and far between, but in some people's opinion continued to prosper (Gatewood, The Black Elite in America).


Works Cited

Gatewood, Willard B. The Black Elite in America. 10 March 2010 .

--. The Black Elite in America. 14 March 2010 .

Moore, Jacqueline M. Leading the Race: The Transformation of the Black Elite in the Nation's Capital 1880-1920. 14 February 2010 .

Wikipedia. The Black Elite. 24 December 2009. 14 February 2010 .