Clara Brown – A Black Woman Entrepreneur &

Pioneer

It’s February 2109 – Black History Month, but every month is Black History Month for me 🙂 It’s the amazing history of who I am! I came across the story of Ms Clara Brown recently in THIS article and wanted to share it. Clara Brown was born into slavery in Virginia in 1800, but when she had the opportunity to exit those horrendous limitations, she thrived as an entrepreneur!

No lie – I’m not really feeling this sentence in the beginning of the article referring to the slave master who owned Clara by saying…… “Smith was a kindly man and a devout Methodist; he took Clara and her mother to his church services” because you can’t be too kind when you’ve enslaved other human beings, but I found the story of this woman who overcame so many odds fascinating. I’m smart enough to read through the bullsh*t and still gather the significant historical info found in the article!

She was the 1st African-American woman resident of Denver, CO, is thought to be the first African -American involved in the Colorado Gold Rush, and opened a laundry shop. She used her earnings to eventually fund the construction of the St James Methodist Church in Denver. She also served as a midwife to pregnant women in the community. She further invested her earnings in gold mines and real estate. She also spent large amounts of money helping other African-Americans move out west and financed their transition with her own money.

The article also goes on to state this:

“A plaque commemorating the life of Clara Brown hangs at St. James Methodist Church in Central City, stating that her home had served as the first church in Central City. In 1930, a chair in the Central City Opera House was installed in her honor. Clara’s life and achievements were commemorated with a stained glass portrait of her in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the state capitol in 1977.”

Clara Brown is considered “one of the 100 most influential women in the history of Colorado.” She was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2003, an opera was written about her life, called Gabriel’s Daughter. It debuted in Central City, Colorado.”

Check out the entire article on the story of Ms Clara Brown HERE

Dr. Carmen April is an entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a Nashville Emerging Leader (NELA) Award Winner, a Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient, is a Graduate of the New Leaders Council Institute – Nashville Chapter and is a 2018 Nashville Power Moves Award Winner. She is a Podiatrist and Owner of The Foot And Ankle Healthcare Center, PC in the Nashville area. She is a Reiki Master, a Law of Attraction Practitioner, and an advocate for the power of positive thinking! Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Leadership & Life Leadership for College Students and Young Professionals and is the creator of the “Design Your Story” Women’s Empowerment Series.