The Glover Report: The NCAA’s Elite 8 and their Black Wall Street Historical Relevance

I had the distinct pleasure to begin the day with a keynote address to the?Black Business Expo USA?virtually. Because of the kindness and graciousness of our beloved Marsha Jews and?Dr. Eric Kelly, I was afforded the opportunity to discuss my latest book,?“I Am Black Wall Street”?(2021).

As I was later preparing for an afternoon of NCAA men’s basketball, it dawned on me how I missed an opportunity to connect some of the remaining Elite 8 teams with my book on Black Wall Street history.

In short, Villanova is relevant in the sense that it’s located in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is noted in my book as home to James Forten, who, if he were alive today, would be a millionaire. He lived during the Revolutionary War era and went on to become the owner of a sail-making company in which he was originally an employee. By the way, he was not a slave.

Both Duke and North Carolina University are relevant in that Durham, North Carolina has the oldest of the three official Black Wall Streets. The other is Richmond’s Jackson Ward.

St. Peter’s is in New Jersey. Similarly, New Jersey’s Burlington Island is noted in the book as the “Cradle of Emancipation.” Who knew? READ IN FULL