Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545782
PROPERTY PROFILE––Book Rewiew C alvin Stovall's book, Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era, cele brates the resilience and entrepreneurship of African American hoteliers. It uncovers how these pioneers provid ed safe, welcoming havens for Black travelers during the eras of slavery and segregation. Stovall emphasizes that these properties were much more than safe places to sleep. They served as vital community hubs, vibrant spaces for Black culture, and symbols of dignity and resistance. The book uses a rich collection of archival photographs, firsthand research, and engaging narratives to honor the visionaries who successfully carved out a space in a "not so hospitable" hotel industry. Stovall profiles property owners who open doors to make possible the more than 350 Black owned hotels across the country today. The Great Migration (1910–1970), during which more than six mil lion African Americans sought greater opportu nity and a better quality of life, created an urgent need for lodging and a c c o m m o d a t i o n s — resources that were often unavailable in Jim Crow America. While many encountered discrimination and exclusion, Black entrepreneurship flourished as African American hospitality pioneers established and operated firstclass hotels and resorts throughout the United States. One of the greatest misconceptions about segregation is that Jim Crow existed only in the South. In reality, discrimi natory practices stretched across the nation. Many down town hotels barred African Americans regardless of loca tion. In Harlem, New York, the Hotel Theresa did not permit Black guests until 1940, despite having operated since 1913. Segregation also reached the shores of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where African Americans were confined to Chicken Bone Beach, a designated section of the Atlantic Ocean, because they were prohibited from enjoying the whiteonly beach. African Americans have been involved in hospitality since the late eighteenth century. Rachael Pringle Polgreen, born into slavery around 1753, became the first woman of color to own a tavernhotel, the Royal Navy Hotel, in Bridgetown, Barbados, during the 1770s and 1780s. Decades later, Tunis Gulic Campbell—one of the most prominent African American leaders of the Reconstruction era—published Hotel Keepers, Head Waiters, and Housekeepers' Guide in 1848. Hailed as the first book of its kind in the United States, it offered practical advice and management principles for operating a firstclass hotel. Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era commemorates these longoverlooked contributions and the individuals who helped create an entire hospitality infrastructure. These trailblazers not only provided accom modations for underserved communities but also estab lished gathering places that served as centers for civic engagement and social progress. Their stories reveal a rich and largely untold chapter of American history. As noted in Hidden Hospitality, for many Americans, the Academy Awardwinning film Green Book provided their first introduction to Victor Hugo Green's The Negro Motorist Green Book, a publication that identified Black friendly hotels, motels, restaurants, and businesses throughout the country. Hidden Hospitality features more than 125 vintage blackandwhite photographs of many of these establishments, including those along the Chitlin' Circuit—a network of safe havens for touring Black enter tainers and prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Booker T. Washington, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, and W. E. B. Du Bois. Through these stories and images, Hidden Hospitality preserves an important legacy while honoring the resilience, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial spirit of the pio neers who helped shape the American hospitality industry. Readers are invited to check in, enjoy their stay, and ensure that this paramount historical collection no longer remains hidden. B M & T ••• July/August 2026 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 33 BA 250 Special Edition Calvin Stovall