At the turn of the early twentieth century, Harlem--the iconic Black
neighborhood--was predominantly white. The Black real estate
entrepreneur Philip Payton played a central role in Harlem's
transformation. He founded the Afro-American Realty Company in 1903,
vowing to vanquish housing discrimination. Yet this ambitious mission
faltered as Payton faced the constraints of white capitalist power
structures.
In this biography, Kevin McGruder explores Payton's career and its
implications for the history of residential segregation. Payton stood up
for the right of Black people to live in Harlem in the face of vocal
white resistance. Through skillful use of print media, he branded Harlem
as a Black community and attracted interest from those interested in
racial uplift. Yet while Payton "opened" Harlem streets, his business
model depended on continued racial segregation. Like white real estate
investors, he benefited from the lack of housing options available to
desperate Black tenants by charging higher rents. Payton developed a
specialty in renting all-Black buildings, rather than the integrated
buildings he had once envisioned, and his personal successes ultimately
entrenched Manhattan's racial boundaries. McGruder highlights what
Payton's story shows about the limits of seeking advancement through
enterprise in a capitalist system deeply implicated in racial
inequality.
At a time when understanding the roots of residential segregation has
become increasingly urgent, this biography sheds new light on the man
and the forces that shaped Harlem.
