Day 21: A couple days ago we learned about Mary Church Terrell, an African American woman known for starting the NACW(National Association Of Colored Women) and the first black woman to obtain her degree from Oberlin college. Today we learn about her father, Robert Reed Church sr. The first African American millionaire in the south. Robert Reed Church was born a slave in 1839 in Mississippi. In 1906 he founded the first black owned bank in Memphis, Tennessee called Solvent savings bank and trust. The bank became the first black bank to reach $1 million in assets it merged with Fraternal savings bank and trust in 1927 but failed two years later. The solvent Savings bank extended credit so black people could buy homes and develop businesses. Robert Reed Church used his money to give back to the community by building a park, playground, auditorium and other facilities for thr black community. He brought multiple businesses and undeveloped land and built great wealth on the real estate he soon collected $6,000 a month in rent from his properties. In 1953 his family house was burned down to the ground due to Mr. Church advocated for black voter rights and in 1955 his house along with the surrounding area were paved by the city for public housing complexes specifically for African Americans. Robert Reed Church was always for the black community he used his money to further develop the community, his bank helped African Americans open their business and help them buy homes, he always gave back to the black community and wanted them to do better.