Public Domain Photo via Wikimedia Commons

• ENTREPRENEUR

• Born a free Black woman, but even in anti-slavery Pennsylvania schools were segregated, so at seven years old she was sent to Nantucket, MA to get an education. However, the white family who was charged with her care made her work in their store instead of sending her to school.
• Moved to Boston at 26 years old and soon married James W. Smith, an abolitionist and wealthy businessman
• James died within two years, leaving his wealth to Mary; she became a MILLIONAIRE by selling off much of his estate
• Remarried four years later to James's land manager, John James Pleasant (maybe Pleasants)
• John went to California in the 1849 Gold Rush, and Mary soon followed, expanding her wealth through moneylending and selling silver
• As word of her success spread, many couldn't believe that a Black woman could be so savvy, and rumors abounded regarding the "true" source of her acumen, ranging from practicing voodoo to eavesdropping on her dinner guests
• Donated to those seeking to overturn racist laws in California
• Donated $45,000 (over $1 million today) to abolitionist John Brown, and travelled throughout West Virginia to rally slaves to join the fight for independence
• Unfortunately the planned insurrection failed, and Pleasant, having lost a substantial portion of her fortune in the endeavor, became a house manager for a wealthy family
• Successfully SUED San Francisco streetcar companies for their policy banning Black passengers, although she had to enlist the help of a white friend to testify, since minorities were prohibited by California law to speak in court
• Opened a boarding house and two laundries, hiring Black employees and rebuilding her fortune
• Because of her fame and wealth, she became a magnet for those in need. Her kitchen became known as "Black City Hall" as she helped both Blacks and whites with money problems, housing and employment, legal troubles, and providing start-up capital to start their own businesses

Fact or Fiction

~ Because of all the rumors that were spread about her, online biographies of Pleasant often cite misinformation, including incorrect birth and death dates, and that she was born a slave in the South. In fact, if you search for pictures of Mary Ellen Pleasant, most of the photographs aren't of her at all and are mislabeled. Recent research, however (including the book listed in the bibliography below), has concluded that she was, in fact, born free.

~ Much has also been made of her friendship with Thomas Bell, a white investor. Rumors that they were having an affair recirculated when later in life he fell to his death at the top of a staircase when Pleasant was visiting him, even after the death was determined to be accidental by the police. Bell's son, after squandering much of his inheritance, sued the 83-year-old Pleasant, accusing her of stealing from his father, and even insinuated that she had murdered Thomas. (The book I read never actually said what the outcome of the lawsuit was. I think she died before it was settled.)

Bibliography: Wills, Shomari. Black Fortunes. New York: Harper Collins, 2018. Print.

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