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.