[...]... repeated many times throughout the country Some African Americans became so successful that they became millionaires But for many, it wasn’t enough to achieve only wealth These millionaires did their best to pass on their good fortune African Americans have a tradition of supporting organizations and movements whose purpose is to uplift the race These millionaires had achieved self-sufficiency and wanted... would later use Beckwourth Pass as a gateway to the west Many African Americans came to Northern California as a result of the development of the Western Pacific Railroad Maria Rita Valdez, an African American woman, was the ranchero, or landowner, of Rancho Rodeo de Aguas, now known as Beverly Hills Don Pio Pico, whose grandmother was an African American, was the last Mexican governor of California Born... the access of any African American to the judicial system Although California officially had no slaves, the state continued to pass laws that supported slavery and slaveholders Conditions were so bad for many African Americans that some considered settlement outside the United States After the Civil War, Pleasant stopped passing as a white woman She let everyone know she was African American Pleasant... businesswoman, and made her fortune in real estate She gave to the poor, regardless of race, and founded the First African American Methodist Church in Los Angeles Black millionaires and philanthropists have also made significant 2 ✦ INTRODUCTION ✦ gifts to institutions serving African Americans In 1989, Oprah Winfrey gave generously to Morehouse College with a $1 million donation This gift was followed... scholarships in his name A prominent attorney, he used his legal skills to fight real estate covenants, which prevented African Americans from having equal housing opportunities He was inspired to give because of a $50 scholarship he received when he was a law student at USC These African American millionaires gained wealth in a variety of ways, but they all did the same thing: they gave back Whether donations... with those who were less fortunate 1 This is called philanthropy, meaning love of humanity Among African Americans, philanthropy has its roots in black churches and mutual aid associations The associations were started in the late 1700s to provide assistance to people in the black community Early African Americans were also large contributors to the Underground Railroad and the Abolitionist Movement... slavery 18 ✦ THE CIVIL WAR YEARS AND RECONSTRUCTION ✦ Despite the dangers, San Francisco in the 1850’s had many opportunities for African Americans There were job opportunities as cooks, bakers, waiters, barbers, tailors, teachers, and shoemakers There were even African Americans who ran boarding houses With the advent of the Gold Rush, buying, renting, and selling property became a quick source of... PLEASANT ✦ 19 Pleasant to continue her fight for the freedom of all: that decision concerned the Dred Scott case The Court decided that an African American could not be a citizen of the United States and therefore did not have the rights of a citizen (Citizenship for African Americans would come nine years later when the U.S Congress approved the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution.) Pleasant was determined... be the first African American millionaire in this country His philanthropy extended to public schools and the less fortunate At about the same time, Mary Ellen Pleasant, often called the Mother of Civil Rights, gained wealth and influence in San Francisco Pleasant used her business abilities to create a fortune some say was worth $30 million in her day She fought for the equality of African Americans and... and then again in 1845 to 1846 Pico also built an elegant hotel and the first three-story building in California African Americans were also a part of the founding of the Pueblo of Los Angeles in 1781 Of the forty-four pobladores, or settlers, twenty-six were either full-blooded or part African They were from farming communities in Sinalos and Sonora, which were provinces of New Spain, now known as . He gives us a glimpse into the lives of some African Americans who rose to take their place among an elite group of African Americans who became millionaires, and some of them billionaires. Through. African Americans became so successful that they became millionaires. But for many, it wasn’t enough to achieve only wealth. These millionaires did their best to pass on their good fortune. African Americans. First African American Methodist Church in Los Angeles. Black millionaires and philanthropists have also made significant cintro.qxd 8/31/04 1:11 PM Page 2 gifts to institutions serving African Americans.