Black History Month: Telling Their Stories, Recognizing Their Impact

The Gilded Age was a time of opulence, expansion, and a period of self-made men and women. For some, it was a glittering dream; one in which those with the know-how and penchant for hard work could climb the proverbial ladder to success. Carnegie, Frick, Gould, Rockefeller, and other industrial-minded men dominated the visage of the period, living lives surrounded by extraordinary wealth and boundless power. The immortality of their legacies is recognized in the names of buildings, libraries, streets, and boroughs.

We know these men.

Yet there were many others left out of stories of the Age: unsung individuals who worked and made a difference through their skills in sometimes quieter ways, still exemplifying the spirit of industry, philanthropy, and service to their communities. These individuals left their marks on the city in indelible ways, from establishing their own businesses when the doors of others were closed to them, participating in charitable activities, running for political office, and taking their earnings back to the African American neighborhoods and organizations, and funding schools and homes for the caretaking of the most vulnerable. There are no buildings or monuments to them. Still, their commitment to improving conditions for thousands of African Americans who came to the City of Pittsburgh in the late 19th through early 20th century lives on in the community building organizers, entrepreneurs, restauranteurs, and educators in the city today.

While there are many stories yet to be told about the Black men and women of Pittsburgh’s Gilded Age, this series will introduce you to three dynamic individuals who shaped the landscape and led lives of service: Jane Grandison, Cumberland Posey, Sr., and Spencer Ford. We invite you to learn about them not just as part of Black history but also as part of the history that makes Pittsburgh great.