Celebrating Black History Month: 10 Black Philanthropists Who Have Changed History

In celebration of Black History Month, we’re highlighting a handful of Black philanthropists who have impacted their communities, cities, and country over the centuries through dedicated giving. While it’s easy to cite modern day, household names like Oprah and Lebron James—both of whom offer wonderful examples of philanthropy done right—we decided to take a deeper look to unearth little known facts about Black philanthropists who may have been forgotten or left out of the conversation entirely. We certainly learned something new and were equally inspired by their stories...and we hope you are too:

1. James Forten (1766-1842)—James Forten was a colonial-era philanthropist and abolitionist born in Philadelphia into a free Black family. After serving on a ship during the American Revolutionary War, he became the top-selling sailmaker in Philadelphia, earning a reputation as an astute businessman. Forten was a prominent member of the anti-slavery movement, using his wealth to fundraise for the movement and finance abolitionist newspapers, including the Liberator (1831-1865). He also served a vice-president of the American Anti-Slavery Society, among other notable roles. After his death, his children and grandchildren continued his legacy becoming active abolitionists.

2. Thomy LaFon (1810-1893)—Thomy LaFon was a 19th-century businessman in New Orleans most well-known for his generous philanthropy and advocacy for racial justice. A “Creole of color,” he was born into a biracial family and earned great wealth over time as a successful merchant and real-estate broker. He lived modestly and used his earrings to fund Black newspapers, arts, orphanages, and schools, establishing the Lafon Orphan Boys' Asylum and the Home for Aged Colored Men and Women. He also helped finance the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Underground Railroad. In his will, he left funds to local charities, hospitals, nursing homes, Straight University, and the Sisters of the Holy Family.

3. Biddy Mason (1810- 1891)— Bridget “Biddy” Mason was a nurse, philanthropist, and real estate entrepreneur who made history as one of the first landowners in Los Angeles in the mid-1800s. Born into slavery on a plantation in Georgia, she developed skills in agriculture, midwifery, and herbal medicine, eventually becoming a midwife and nurse in Los Angeles after earning her freedom in 1860. With money carefully saved, she became a landowner, established the first Black church in L.A., the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, donated to numerous charities, fed and sheltered the poor, and visited prisoners. She also helped found a traveler’s aid center and school for Black children.

4. Colonel John McKee (1821-1902)— At one time designated “the richest African American in the country,” John Mckee was a wealthy businessman and landowner in the 1800s. Born free to enslaved parents in Virginia, he fought in the Civil War, being made lieutenant colonel of the 13th Regiment. Following, he moved north to Pennsylvania where he bought and managed properties for newly-freed slaves to rent, eventually owning hundreds of acres of property across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky, New Jersey, and New York. Upon death, he left $2 million to philanthropic causes, including funds to build a church, rectory, and convent in his “McKee City,” as well as a school and orphanage in Philadelphia. 

5. Ida B Wells (1862-931)— Ida B. Wells was a prominent Black writer, journalist, educator, civil rights leader, and one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Born into slavery in Mississippi and freed after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, Wells moved north and spent her life fighting for racial equality. As a philanthropist, Wells was one of the founding members of the first Black settlement house in Chicago, the Negro Fellowship League. At a time when the YMCA did not allow Black members, the NFL served as a shelter, reading room, library, activity center for young Black men. 

6. Madam C. J. Walker (1867 –1919)— Madam C.J. Walker was an entrepreneur and philanthropist known as one of the most successful, self-made millionaires of the twentieth century. Born Sara Breedlove to formerly enslaved parents in Louisiana, Walker was an uneducated laborer and laundress who famously went on to establish the haircare empire Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company (named for her third husband, Charles Joseph Walker). As a wealthy businesswoman and activist, she donated generously to charitable causes, including civil rights groups, schools, churches, arts, and community groups. Upon death, her estate, a gathering place for the African American community, was donated to charity.

7. A.G. Gaston (1892-1996)—Arthur George Gaston was born in Alabama into a formerly enslaved family. After serving in WWI as starting his career in mining, Gaston went on to establish a number of businesses in Alabama, including an insurance company, construction company, funeral home, motel, bank, and business college. A multimillionaire, Gaston gave generously to philanthropic causes, famously paying legal bills tied to court cases of civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King. He regularly donated space in his facilities for civil rights activists to use as living and meeting spaces. In his will, he donated many of his personal and business properties to charity. 

8. Osceola McCarty (1908-1999)—Osceola McCarty was a Black washerwoman and philanthropist who made headlines as the University of Southern Mississippi's most famous benefactor. McCarty was born in Mississippi into an impoverished family, having to drop out of sixth grade to care for her ailing aunt. She took over her aunt’s position as a washerwoman, and, falling in love with work, she continued in the job for 75 years. Frugally saving her entire life, at age 87, McCarty donated the majority of her life’s savings to USM to establish a scholarship fund. Today, more than half a million dollars have been awarded to USM students through the Osceola McCarty Scholars Program.

9. Ursula Burns (1958- )— In 2015, Forbes named Ursula Burns the 29th most powerful woman in the world. Born in the Bronx and raised by a single mother, Burns graduated from Columbia University with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. She began her career as an intern at Xerox, and within 30 years, became its CEO — making her one of the first Black female CEOs in the Fortune 500. In 2018, Burns became CEO of  VEON. As a philanthropist, she’s helped found Change the Equation, a non-profit for the advancement of STEM education. She is also on the board of trustees for the Ford Foundation for Social Justice and provides leadership counsel to community, educational, and nonprofit organizations.

10. Tom Joyner (1949- ) — Once called the “hardest-working man in radio,” Tom Joyner is a radio personality, emcee, philanthropist, and former host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. Born into an educated Black family in Alabama, Joyner began his career in radio as a student at Tuskegee Institute and went on to host shows in Dallas and Chicago before launching The Tom Joyner Morning Show in 1994. He used his success to establish the Tom Joyner Foundation to fund scholarships, endowments, and educational programming for historically Black colleges and universities. Since 1998, it has raised more than $65 million. Now retired, Joyner continues to serve the community through advocacy for voter registration, community health, and Alzheimer's research.