Robert Reed Church, Sr, born June 18, 1839 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, is the first African-American millionaire in the South. (I haven't been able to find out who the first black millionaire in the north was.) He was an entrepreneur, businessman and landowner in Memphis, Tennessee. Although born into poverty, he purchased many properties around Memphis after the yellow fever epidemic in 1878, becoming very wealthy.
With his immense wealth, he funded facilities for Memphis' black population, which were oppressed by racial segregation of the white institutions at the time. He funded a free annual Thanksgiving meal for poor blacks, and developed a public park, a playground, concert hall and an auditorium.
He helped establish Memphis' first black bank and served as its fouding president, ensuring black people could have access to loans for businesses and homes.
He passed away in August 1912.
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