Author Talks, Money Matters, Online, Women's History Month: Shennette Garrett-Scott: Black Women's Economic Ambition in 1920s Harlem
Location
The New York Public Library honors women past and present in celebration of Women's History Month this March. Join us for programs and events, resources, recommended reading, and more. Plus, check out book lists that highlight the contributions of women educators and learn about some of the women who have helped build NYPL.
Join us for a webinar with Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott, drawing from her acclaimed book Banking on Freedom: Black Women in U.S. Finance Before the New Deal. She explores the St. Luke Finance Corporation, a visionary organization driven by women who blended financial ambition with community empowerment. Learn how they built Black economic power through finance and real estate, while navigating the systemic racism and sexism of Jane Crow. By capitalizing on Harlem’s booming nightlife and informal economy—rent parties, bootlegging, and numbers—they created opportunities for their community and boldly redefined the boundaries of race, gender, and class.
Don't forget to bring your questions for a Q&A with the author!
You can borrow Banking on Freedom from NYPL’s Catalog or purchase a copy to dive deeper into this powerful history!
Click here to register for this ONLINE event
About Dr. Shennette Garrett-Scott
Shennette Garrett-Scott brings to life the untold stories of African American women’s enterprise, labor, and activism. Recognized as a leading expert in Black business history, she explores African American women’s relentless pursuit of economic and social justice.
Dr. Garrett-Scott is the Paul and Debra Gibbons Professor and Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Tulane University. Her acclaimed book Banking on Freedom: Black Women in U.S. Finance Before the New Deal earned multiple prestigious awards, including the Southern Historical Association’s prize for best book in Southern Economic History and best book in Black Women’s history prizes from the Association of Black Women Historians and the Organization of American Historians.
Dedicated to uncovering stories that transform how we understand American history, Dr. Garrett-Scott’s work underscores how African-American women’s activism and fight for economic justice shaped both their communities and the nation.
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