"A valueble resource for new business owners....Any small business owner or entrepreneur would do well to invest the time it takes to read this text." The Atlanta Tribune

"This concise study of recent trends in black entrepreneurship, with its excellent historical summary, asks two questions: 'Why has it taken so long?' and 'Why is it still so hard?'...Woodard, who was educated as a sociologist, is president and CEO of Woodard and Associates, a national consulting firm, a position that affords him a good perspective on corporate America. Through his interviews, 12 [African American] business owners outline their struggles to success - sagas which will undoubtedly resonate with women and other minorities, as well....Each interviewee is so sympathetic and each struggle so affecting that it will be a hard-hearted reader who doesn't feel a thrill at their eventual success. More than just a business book, this is an affecting, inspiring book for any nascent entrepreneur." Publishers Weekly

"If you think black entrepreneurs have the same oppurtunities as their white counterparts, Michael Woodard has a two-word message for you: Think again!" Indianapolis Star and News

"[Woodard's] insights will be helpful to many readers." Booklist

Published by Rutgers University Press in 1997. - $25.00

Beginning with a summary of 200 years of entrepreneurship among African Americans, then moving to in-depth interviews with contemporary entrepreneurs, Michael Woodard provides a powerful record of entrepreneurial vitality in a market that is often hostile and exclusive. The book covers businesses nationwide, representing diverse industries. Woodard ends on a practical note with resources and advice for anyone contemplating an entrepreneurial future.