An entrepreneur, according to the dictionary, is a person who organizes and manages a business undertaking, assuming the risk for the sake of profit. The African-American community of Champaign-Urbana had many such persons throughout the development of the cities.

In this article, let's zero in on the good old days when Mrs. Carr made the best "hot tamales" and distributed them in converted baby buggies for five cents each or three for a dime; when Mrs. Taylor had a restaurant at Dublin and Wright Streets specializing in "fish sandwiches"; when Mrs. Herbert Clark sold pastries, pies, and cakes (especially lemon pies) at Dublin and Mathews in Urbana; when Three Sisters sold "the best fish and chicken this side of Heaven"; when The Chicken Shack, operated by Mrs. Minnie McDuff and located near Grove and Fifth Streets in Champaign, specialized in full service and provided delivery; when Mrs. Ollie Macklin's Tea Room, located on East Hill Street in Champaign, had a soda fountain and catered to teenagers; when Mom and Pop Gardener operated their restaurant on North Poplar Street; when Hattie and Mel Winfield's tavern (the original Blue Island Tavern) was located in the 800 block of North Poplar Street in Champaign and which later moved to the old Colombia Hotel; when Mrs. Romeo Green was operating an eating and dancing establishment for junior and senior high school students; when "Cry Baby" Mac Brewer and Mrs. Mac had a full service restaurant specializing in "sweet potato" pies on North Poplar Street and a place for dancing on the corner of Fourth and Vine Streets, Tuxedo Junction After Hours (the sweetest music in town.)

Now, next door to Tuxedo Junction on Fourth Street was a place called Larry's. Larry's was operated by Mr. Percy and Mrs. Lucille Larry. Their specialty was "chittlin's" and southern cooking. Joe Sommers operated Dagwoods (Jukebox Saturday Night for the high school students.) Judge Sommers was the first black elected Justice of the Peace and later magistrate in Champaign County.

Mr. Arnold Yarber, following in his grandmother's footsteps, established Po Boy's Bar-B-Que at the same location that Mrs. Carr had her eating establishment. It is still in operation.

There will be more written in future issues on black businesses: more about eateries, tailors, storekeepers, auto mechanics, plasterers, doctors, podiatrists, artists, news and publications, antique dealers, seamstresses, barbers, beauticians, and so on. We do seek your help filling in the spaces on businesses of the past and present. What is happening today will be history tomorrow.