This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Teri Williams, president and chief operating officer of OneUnited Bank. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Growing up in Indiantown, Florida, I used to follow my great-grandmother around, whom I called Ma Honey. Ma Honey owned a penny candy store, a barbecue place, and a juke joint, where I learned how to play pool. She also owned rental properties, and I’d go with her to collect the rents.
Ma Honey’s businesses shielded her family from the dangers of a segregated southern town. Her money also gave our family opportunities: she paid for my grandparents to move so that my father…
