In the summer of 1914 the St. Louis, Missouri chapter of the National Negro Business League (NNBL) had inspired a black business revival. NNBL’s Ralph W. Tyler described the quality of the grocery stores and restaurants in St. Louis “equal to the best” he had experienced in other parts of the country. African Americans in the city also operated successful butcher shops, coffee and tea shops, and cafés. NNBL members had “championed the philosophy of business and professional cooperation.” Black newspapers played a key factor in influencing black residents to spend their money in African-American owned businesses.
