Amsterdam News has been reporting the news of the day from a Black perspective for 113 years. Donors who choose to give monthly or annually will receive Amsterdam News’ Weekly E-Edition and acclaimed weekday newsletter Editorially Black to their inbox!Get the top Racial Equity stories of the day from America’s most influential oldest continuously published Black newspaper, serving the nation’s largest Black and brown community. Sign up to stay connected.
John E. Nail, like his father, who owned a saloon before he began accumulating property, immersed himself in real estate, so he was able to speak with authority about the value and the extent to which African Americans were financially involved, but he obviously learned much about the trade and business from his industrious father. Our focus here is on the son, with a promise to profile the father later.
Three years after Jack arrived at Payton’s company, there were financial difficulties, which convinced him that it was time to forge his own business with Henry C. Parker as his partner. At the core of his real estate plan was to stabilize homeownership among Black residents, thereby minimizing the widespread discriminatory practices.