Some people build wealth. Others build legacies. Clara Brown did both.
This International Women's Day, I find myself thinking about a woman whose story is often overlooked yet deserves to be told in every history book: Clara Brown, a former slave who transformed personal tragedy into a mission that changed countless lives.
I discovered Clara's story in a book I recently read that I highly recommend, The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History. Clara's life exemplifies everything we celebrate today: courage, resilience and the extraordinary power of women to reshape their communities against all odds.
Born into slavery in Virginia around 1800, Clara was separated from her family when she was just a teenager, sold at auction, never to see them again. When freedom finally came in her 50s, she made a decision that few would have dared: to journey west to Colorado Territory, working as a cook and laundress on a wagon train.
At a time when most formerly enslaved people struggled for survival, Clara became a real estate mogul, an investor, and a force for justice. With sharp business instincts and strategic thinking, she built a business empire in Central City, Colorado, in the 1860s. She became the first Black woman to own property in the city, eventually acquiring a real estate portfolio worth $10,000 (equivalent to hundreds of thousands today). In a time when most Black Americans were still enslaved and women rarely owned businesses, Clara became known as the "Angel of the Rockies."
But wealth was never her end goal. For her, it was a tool for change.
Clara used her success to forge paths for others, secretly funding formerly enslaved people seeking freedom, establishing churches and providing food and shelter to anyone in need. For decades, she searched tirelessly for her lost family, traveling across states and placing countless ads. When she finally reunited with one daughter, she expanded her mission by helping other separated families find their way back to each other.
Clara Brown's story resonates powerfully on this International Women's Day because she embodied The Generosity Mindset® in its purest form: she saw success not as a destination but as a means to create opportunity for others. She did more than build wealth; she built a legacy of hope that continues to inspire.
This International Women's Day, as we honor trailblazers like Clara Brown, let's remember that the most lasting changes come from women who understand that true success lies in using their resources to lift others. We benefit from the legacy of such generous women, whether their work made headlines or changed lives quietly, one person at a time.
Image Credit: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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