Charles C. Spaulding:
Business Leader And Civil Rights Activist, Charles Clinton Spaulding Was Born On August 1, 1874, In Columbus County, North Carolina.
Spaulding Left Home At Age 20 And Moved To Durham, NC Where He Became Manager Of A Black-Owned Grocery Store.
In 1899, The Newly Established North Carolina Mutual & Provident Association Hired Him As General Manager. A Year Later He Was Promoted To Full-Time General Manager.
Spaulding's Aggressive Advertising Strategy To Give The Company Name Recognition Within The Community Paid Off. North Carolina Mutual & Provident Association Prospered In The First 10 Years, Establishing Subsidiaries And Supporting A Number Of Local Businesses.
In 1919 The Firm Officially Changed Its Name To The North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Under Spaulding's Direction North Carolina Mutual Became The Largest Black-Owned Business Of The Time.
By 1923 Spaulding Had Become The Company's President, A Position He Held Until His Death In 1952. At The Time Of His Death, North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company Had Amassed Assets Of Over $37 Million.
While He Is Most Noted For His Business Leadership, Charles Spaulding Also Devoted Many Efforts To The Growth Of The Black Middle Class. As National Chairman Of The Urban League's Emergency Advisory Council In The 19930's He Campaigned To Secure New Deal Jobs For African Americans. While Chairman Of The Durham Committee On Negro Affairs He Was Involved In Voter Registration Efforts And Convinced City Officials To Hire Black Police Officers.
Charles Spaulding Also Supported Education For Black Americans. He Served As A Trustee For North Carolina College (Now North Carolina Central University), Shaw University And Howard University.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert
