Description

Calvin Stovall’s Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era illuminates a vital yet overlooked chapter in American history. Drawing on nearly thirty years of hospitality industry experience, Stovall chronicles how courageous Black entrepreneurs created safe havens for travelers during slavery and segregation, when finding welcoming accommodations was a matter of survival.

This groundbreaking exploration of hidden hospitality showcases vivid stories and photographs spanning from the eighteenth-century Royal Navy Hotel—managed by a free woman of color—to iconic Green Book era establishments like the Majestic Hotel and the legendary Hotel Theresa, where historical figures found refuge.

Stovall reveals how hidden hospitality transcended basic lodging, with Black-owned properties becoming vibrant cultural hubs where Black art, music, and social life flourished. These spaces allowed people to gather freely, celebrate their heritage, and influence broader society while facing immense challenges within a hostile dominant culture.

As scholarship on Black history expands, Hidden Hospitality contributes essential narratives that correct, expand, and finally tell the complete story of the Black experience. Stovall powerfully reminds readers that the legacy of hidden hospitality continues today, honoring the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of pioneers who built more than businesses—they created community sanctuaries.