History echoes as black-owned businesses thrive in Bull City

A contemporary movement in Durham sees parallels with a time in the city's history, from the late 19th century into the early 20th century, when African-American entrepreneurs built a successful community despite Jim Crow.
Posted 4/13/2018, 10:15:35 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:52:50 PM

BOSS.

PRESIDENT TRUMP RESPONDED ON

TWITTER CALLING HIM A

SLIMEBALL.

>>> WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE

RESURGENCE OF DRUMS BLACK WALL

STREET.

>> Reporter: IF YOU DO NOT KNOW

YOUR HISTORY, YOU ARE DESTINED

TO REPEAT IT.

THERE IS AN ARROW WORTH

REPEATING, WORTH EMULATING.

>> HIS DAUGHTER, MY GRANDMOTHER.

>> Reporter: IT WAS BLACK WALL

STREET ALSO KNOWN AS THE

DISTRICT.

DURING THE LATE 19th CENTURY

INTO THE EARLY 20th CENTURY,

AFRICAN-AMERICANS FLOURISHED

AUTONOMOUSLY.

>> THEY HAD A NICE COHORT OF

AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN WHO CAME

TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT SKILL

SETS WHO SAID LET'S MAKE THIS

PLACE BETTER.

AND THEY BEGAN.

>> Reporter: EILEEN WELLS, THE

DIRECTOR OF DRUMS COLORED

LIBRARY IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER.

THE FOUNDERS OF NORTH

CAROLINA'S MUTUAL LIFE

INSURANCE COMPANY.

TO FOUNDING FATHERS OF DRUMS

BLACK WALL STREET.

>> I AM OUT OF WHAT THEY DID.

I AM PROUD OF THE BUSINESSES

THEY'S CREATED.

>>> STATE REPRESENTATIVE MICKEY

MICHELLE IS A PRODUCT THAT

TIME.

>> YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO ACROSS

THE TRACKS TO THE WHITE

COMMUNITY TO DO ANYTHING.

WE HAD EVERYTHING IN OUR OWN

COMMUNITY.

>> Reporter: AFRICAN-AMERICANS

INSULATED THEMSELVES AND THEIR

OWN SUCCESS.

>> YOU KNEW THAT YOU WERE

SEGREGATED.

YOU KNEW THAT THE OTHER SIDE

DID NOT PARTICULARLY LIKE YOU

WERE CARE FOR YOU.

THEN, I CAN LOOK BACK AND FILL

MY NOSE AT THAT, BECAUSE WE HAD

IT ON OUR SIDE.

>> Reporter: AFRICAN-AMERICAN

SUCCESS REMAINS.

ACCORDING TO CENSUS DATA, LIKE A

-- BLACK OWNED FIRMS MADE UP

THE NUMBER OF DURUM WHICH GREW

BETWEEN 2007 2012.

OUTPACING THE GROWTH OF

COMPANIES IN DURUM ALTOGETHER.

TODAY, BLACK PROFESSIONALS AND

ENTREPRENEURS ARE PROMINENT

AGAIN.

>> THE HISTORY IS RICH AND I'M

REALLY PROUD.

PARTICULARLY AT THIS MOMENT,

WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE A

RENAISSANCE AND A REJUVENATION

OF THAT HISTORY AND ITS

CULTURE.

>> Reporter: SHE IS A DURUM

BASED DOCTOR, PUBLISHER, AND

CONSULTANT.

SHE SAYS THERE IS A

REJUVENATION OF BLACK SUCCESS

AND DURUM IS THE HOTBED.

>> WE ARE BRINGING BACK SOME OF

THAT OLD-FASHIONED LOVE FOR

DURUM AND CREATING THOSE THINGS

THAT WE WANT IT TO BE.

AND THAT WE WANT THE NATION AND

THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT..

ANOTHER GENERATION HAS A TORCH,

SHOWING THAT THE SPIRIT OF

BLACK WALL STREET TRANSCENDS

TIME.

>>> FOR MORE THE STORY IN THE

HISTORY AND SURVIVAL OF DRUMS

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