FP_Black History Month

Legendary role models whose achievements laid the foundation

In honor of Black History Month, Financial Planning is featuring five legendary figures from the fields of wealth, investment management and personal finance. They each achieved historic "firsts" and laid the groundwork for a younger generation of Black professionals reaching milestones and setting ambitious goals.

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Gerald B. Smith blazed a trail in bonds

At 73 years old, Gerald B. Smith can look back at a career in which he drove change on Wall Street, launched a multibillion-dollar investment management firm and gave back to his community.

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Stanley O'Neal's rise to top of Merrill was against all odds

Debate still rages over his legacy. But there's no doubt about how much O'Neal overcame on his way to becoming the first Black Wall Street CEO.

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How LeCount Davis, history's first Black CFP, is still giving back

LeCount Davis was the first African American to earn wealth management's "gold standard" of certifications. Today he's helping others do the same.

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Maggie Lena Walker triumphed in the Jim Crow era

She mixed outspoken activism with business pragmatism, launching a bank that helped hundreds of African Americans buy homes in her longtime community.

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June Middleton made Wall Street history, then left the industry

The first African American woman to be a stockbroker, Middleton smashed that barrier by selling securities as a "standout" broker for Hornblower & Weeks-Hemphill.

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