Customer Reviews

Black Titan: A. G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire

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We learned in Our Kind of People that there have always been rich black folk; what is shameful is our lack of exposure or knowledge of such individuals. A.J. Gaston was one of the wealthiest black men and the first black millionaire. His story has been detailed by his niece, journalist/broadcaster Carol Jenkins, and her daughter, Elizabeth Gardner Hines in Black Titan, a revealing biography that is both compelling and forthright. Gaston, who was born poor in Alabama in 1892 and raised partially by his maternal grandparents in Demopolis, then went to live with his mother, Rosie, in Birmingham where she worked as a maid for a prominent white family.

In Birmingham Gaston went to the Tuggle Institute for high school where he came in contact with Booker T. Washington who would remain one of his biggest influences. After he left high school, he supported himself with jobs such as delivering newspapers and factory work until he entered the army. It was overseas in France that he felt like a man but was brought back to reality when he returned to Jim Crow Alabama. Gaston went to work in the mines; dirty, grueling work but it was there where his entrepreneurial spirit was born. He sold his mother's catered lunches to the other miners and always being frugal, and then started a loan business. A businessman in the making, he then partnered with the Baptist church to start burial insurance and funeral businesses. Little by little these enterprises grew and when he partnered with A.L. Smith, who was already an established businessman, his ventures grew. Gaston & Smith proved to be very profitable professionally and personally when he married Smith's daughter Creola. They worked together and when she died, he married Minnie Gardner, a school teacher who came from a prominent family. They founded the Booker T. Washington Business School, which professionally trained many blacks which enabled them to work in Gaston's businesses and obtain gainful employment contributing to the burgeoning black middle class in Birmingham. Gaston also owned banks, insurance companies and manufacturing companies among his many companies.

This book is as much about the southern black middle/upper classes in the making as it is about an American story of a man who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the richest men in American despite his race and the obstacles because of it. The south with its stringent mores and class issues was not relegated to whites only but was pervasive in the black community as well. This reviewer found one of the most intriguing incidents was the controlling nature of Gaston's first wife's mother who wanted to dictate who would be his second wife. There were white men in Birmingham who had the same rags to riches stories as Gaston, such as owners of the department stores and other prosperous businesses. The white establishment could not ignore the influence of Gaston and looked to him to "calm the natives" as the growing civil rights movement became more demanding. Gaston continually butt heads with Martin Luther King over what he considered King's unorthodox methods for gaining integration in Birmingham; the biggest issue was their disagreement over using children in the marching and boycotting of white businesses. Nevertheless, Gaston was there to bail King and others out of jail when necessary.

This book should be taught in every Business 101 class and should be mandatory reading for black high school students. It is shameful that outside of black business circles, so little is known about him and other blacks who has made such strides. Gaston was named millionaire of the century by Black Enterprise Magazine and should be noted as not only an accomplished black man but as a true icon of American history.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

To say that a black man in one of the most segregated states in the Union,would rise up and become a millionaire during a time when that was not the norm,is in and of itself a miracle. The story of A.G.Gaston is little known outside of Birmingham and Alabama, but every African American should get a copy of this book and read for yourself how this man rose up and became a millionaire during Jim Crow times. Written by his neices,it is tastefully written,and a wonderful addition to anyone's library.

I am definitely going to suggest to my Black Studies teachers that they incorporate this book into their classrooms. A.G. Gaston is the entreprenuers hero! This is a story of an individual who could not and would not stay in the position society told him he was to adhere to. His self determination and self reliance into forging a life and business for himself is enough to make anyone feel ashamed of themselves for suggesting that they cannot become an entreprenuer. I recommend that you purchase this book!

The story of A.G. Gaston is simply incredible. I purchased the book because I love to read stories
about people who have overcome impossible odds to become successful business people.
But I am also a 20th century history buff and therefore, this
book was an exceptional treat. About halfway through, I was
fantasizing about a Ken Burns documentary called, The Life And Times Of A.G. Gaston.
One quick sidebar; Check out the story of
Madame C.J. Walker, a Black woman born shortly after the Civil
war, to former slaves. She became a multi-millionaire and died
at age 52 at about the same time Mr. Gaston was returning from
WWI. She was the first self made Black female millionaire and
her story is also amazing.
A.G. Gaston was clearly from the Booker T. Washington school of
economics. He survived and thrived in an area that was arguably ground zero of the
insanely racist south, and arguably ground zero of the civil rights movement.
I refer to the area roughly bounded by Montgomery and Birmingham Alabama, and Meridian Mississippi.
It would have been easier for a Black man to become a multi-millionaire in almost any other area of the country.
I would highly recommend this book as required reading in American high schools.

This story really made me appreciate and admire what this man went through to become who he was. It told much more than how to get rich and stay rich. It spoke of his beginnings, his many obstacles in his path, and the ability to persevere in a time when it seemed impossible, especially in Birmingham, Alabama. It really put many things in perspective for me, and I hope other people get the honor of reading this timeless piece. I am a business major, so this was something I know I needed. The unfortunate (but not surprising one bit) thing is before this book, I had never heard of A.G. Gaston. In college, you hear about the Rockefellers, the Carnegie's, and others. I stumbled across this book when I was browsing around at the bookstore. Had it not been for that, I may have never known anything about this brillant man and the contributions he made in the Black community. I gained much more than I ever expected initially.

So much of our American history is not taught in our schools, so when we become adults, we must self-study especially contributions of Black Americans. This account of A. G. Gaston's life by his niece and grand-niece is well-paced and informative. Gaston took advantage of every opportunity made available to him and his suberb work ethic allowed him to flourish in many business enterprises. Many of us know a lot about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but how many of us know A.G. Gaston was the man who bailed MLK Jr. and others out of the Birmingham jail? This is a must read. I've already ordered copies for my parents and my local library. Enjoy!

Carol Jenkins and Elizabeth Gardner Hines do an excellent job of documenting the life and times of one America's greatest, if largely unsung (at least outside of the black community), business heroes. Gaston built a great business empire in the Deep South of Birmingham in the Jim Crow, pre-Civil Rights, pre-Affirmative Action era. Imagine the wealth he could have achieved had his brilliance and work ethic not been shackled by racism and discrimination? And despite being lambasted as an apologist and Uncle Tom by many during the battle for civil rights, what would the fate of Dr. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement have been were it not for the financial resources, advice and intervention of Gaston? Black Titan is a great example of defining a man, the times he lived through and the broad impact left in his wake. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Gaston several times during the last decade of his life. For those who didn't get that chance, Black Titan is the next best thing to meeting him in person. The book should be required reading not just for black America, but for all Americans. Also, this book is yet another reason why Carol Jenkins is deservedly idolized by an entire generation of black journalists--she is a titan of her profession, and a worthy heir of Gaston's legacy.

Birmingham, Alabama is my hometown (I now live in Georgia), so the name A.G. Gaston is nothing new to me. What I didn't know was how much of a force he was in the Magic City. I am even more ashame to admit that I was not aware that he died in 1996 (I was in college at the time). One of my sisters attended A.G. Gaston Junior High School. I seen church fans and calendars with the Smith & Gaston logos on them. I seen buildings with his name on them and never put two and two together until now. When I was younger, we would always hear about Dr. Martin Luther King, but never about A.G. Gaston. I find that odd now. I am happy I decided to get this book to add to my collection. I have always look for business role models and never would have thought to look in my own hometown.

It is because of this book, I am able to put a personality behind the names of many buildings in Birmingham.

I also found it interesting following Gaston's journey from Demopolis to Birmingham although I am confused about the present day locations of some of the towns/neighborhoods mentioned in the book. Based on the locations giving in the book, Enon Ridge sounds almost like present day Ensley and Westfield sounds like present day Wenonauh given that this is the area located at the foot of a small mountain seemed to had mines at some point. However the case, this book has introduced me to an era of Birmingham before the sixties that I was aware of.

BLACK TITAN: A.G. GATSON AND THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE is a profoundly inspiring biography on the life and times of millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, A.G. Gaston. Penned by his niece and great niece, the story highlights the accomplishments of this gifted entrepreneur whose extraordinary business acumen took him from being the poverty stricken grandson of a slave to becoming one of the first black millionaires.

The story's theme is one of self sufficiency and fortitude and outlines his life, chronicling the important events as they occur on his route to success. The reader is transported back to a time when harshness was the order of the day and intolerance to the success of people of color was the norm. This well written narrative manages to capture the charismatic persona of this enterprising trailblazer and shares his thoughts on social, economic and civil rights issues. Most importantly it shares his shrewd business practices which were pivotal to his accumulating his great fortune and becoming a model of success for all people.

BLACK TITAN: A.G. GATSON AND THE MAKING OF THE AMERICAN MILLIONAIRE is an unforgettable and enlightening read. The story flows nicely and the lessons to be learnt are endless. This book is a source of inspiration and provides a serious history lesson for everyone.

Reviewed by Autumn
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

...Don't forget to pick up "A Right Worthy Grand Mission: Maggie Lena Walker and the Quest for Black Economic Empowerment" by the late Gertrude Woodruff Marlowe and published in 2003 by the Howard University Press. While I haven't read this book yet (I saw the authors on a program and didn't remember the name until a colleague finally found it for me) I was intrigued by the similarities of A.G. Gaston's life and that of Maggie L. Walker, the first African American female bank founder and president in the U.S. She founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond, VA in 1903; today it is the Consolidated Bank and Trust Co., the oldest continually running African American bank in the U.S.

While Gaston was influenced by Booker T. Washington, Walker was a colleague of Washington and his wife (with whom she and many other prominent African American women of her day fought for the rights of women and children), as well as many, many other prominent African Americans during the early 20th century.

Both of these giants have similar backgrounds and stories, even some 40-50 years apart. The early influence of fraternal orders and mutual benefit societies -- of which Walker was an executive -- is evident. The mission to motivate and work for racial uplift certainly was coupled with personal ingenuity and success during a time that was very difficult.

I highly recommend any educator to consider using these two books as parallels for college or high school students, or those interested in business.