Lost Fortunes II: The Wealthy Black Women Who Inherited Empires Before the Civil Rights Act—And Where Their Wealth Went (Part 17 of 28, Josephine Bruce)
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In the first part of this series, Lost Fortunes, we celebrated Black women entrepreneurs and business owners who built empires before the Civil Rights Era marked by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964. These women were fearless innovators, trailblazers, and contributors to the economic growth of the nation. Among them are Amanda America Dickson who inherited her wealth, and Henrieta Duterte who built her own empire while also a member of a prominent New England family.
This second part of the series now focuses on Black women who were born into wealthy Black empires built before the Civil rights Era, the families that created this wealth, and what happened to their fortunes.
Josephine Bruce: Black Socialite and Plantation Owner who Fought for Social Reform
“The new found pleasure in doing something really worthwhile is quite sufficient as a motive, power to keep things going.” - Josephine Beal Willson Bruce
Josephine Bruce’s story is one of privilege, purpose, and perseverance. She was a pioneering African American educator, suffragist, and civil rights activist whose life’s mission was to uplift the Black community through education, civic engagement, and social reform. As the wife of a U.S. Senator and one of the most influential women of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, she helped shape the landscape of Black empowerment during the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction eras.
Her influence, leadership and devotion as president of the Tuskegee Institute, contributions to the National Association of Colored Women, and the women’s suffrage movement, remain a testament to her vision of a more just, equitable, and empowered Black community.
Early Life: A Privileged Start Amid Turbulent Times
Josephine Beall Willson (1853 – 1923) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, into a free, well-educated, and affluent Black family. Her father, Dr. Joseph Willson, was a prominent dentist, and her mother, Elizabeth Harnett Willson, was an accomplished homemaker who instilled in Josephine a deep sense of cultural pride and responsibility. The Blanche’s produced five children.
Josephine was raised in an environment that emphasized education, refinement, and social responsibility. She attended Cleveland’s Central High School and later pursued her studies at the prestigious Oberlin College, where she further developed her intellect and passion for social reform.
Her privileged upbringing gave her access to the tools necessary for success in a deeply segregated society—but Josephine’s greatest strength lay in her determination to use those tools not just for her own advancement, but for the betterment of the disenfranchised and marginalized Black community.
Marriage and Partnership with Senator Blanche K. Bruce
Josephine was born into a family living off of the average dentist wage in the late 19th century equivalent to at least $200,000 annually today and potentially higher in urban communities of the time.
In 1878, Josephine married Blanche Kelso Bruce, a former slave born in Virginia who had become a wealthy Black landowner. He purchased a plantation on several thousand acres on the Mississippi Delta and enjoyed prominence and political influence during the height of Reconstruction. He became the first African American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate from 1875 to 1881.
The couple honeymooned in Europe for four months. The marriage elevated Josephine’s status and placed her at the center of political and social circles in Washington, D.C.
As the wife of a U.S. Senator, Josephine Bruce used her position to advocate for civil rights, women’s suffrage, and Black education. She was known for hosting elegant salons, where influential Black and white leaders gathered to discuss politics, race, and reform.
Despite the privileges that came with her marriage, Josephine Bruce remained deeply committed to advancing causes that uplifted the Black community, particularly Black women.
A Champion for Education and the Advancement of Black Women
Bruce believed that education was the key to Black liberation and social progress. Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for African Americans, particularly young Black women.
She served as the principal of the Tuskegee Institute’s Ladies Department, where she mentored and educated young women, preparing them for leadership roles in their communities. Her work at Tuskegee reflected her belief in the transformative power of education and self-determination.
In addition to her role as an educator, Josephine Bruce was a founding member and first vice president of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Black women and their families. Through the NACW, Bruce worked alongside other trailblazing women, including Mary Church Terrell and Ida B. Wells, to combat racism, sexism, and poverty.
Her advocacy extended beyond suffrage. She was an outspoken critic of racial discrimination and actively worked to challenge the systemic barriers that limited Black economic, political, and social progress.
The Decline of Wealth: Challenges in Sustaining a Legacy
The Bruce’s were known as one of the most prominent families in D.C with an estimated net worth of $150,000 equivalent to approximately $5 million today. They resided in a large D.C townhouse and summer home. The townhouse built in 1965 is now The Blanche K. Bruce House, a historic landmark at 909 M Street NW in Washington, D.C.. The 3700 SF, 7 bedroom and 4 bath townhouse is valued at more than $1.75 million today.
Despite the initial prominence and wealth that Josephine Bruce and her husband enjoyed, maintaining and transferring that wealth proved challenging, as it did for many African American families in the post-Reconstruction era.
The Bruces’ fortune, which had been accumulated through Blanche Bruce’s successful political career, land ownership, and investments, gradually declined due to several personal, systemic and social factors.
Blanche K. Bruce, a former U.S. Senator and wealthy landowner, had once been one of the richest African American men in the country. However, the economic opportunities available to African Americans were deeply tied to the fleeting gains of Reconstruction. When the political winds shifted and Reconstruction ended, white supremacist policies and practices—such as disenfranchisement, racial violence, and segregation—eroded the financial stability and political influence of Black elites, including the Bruce family.
Factors Leading to the Decline of Wealth:
Economic Downturn and Limited Access to Resources: Bruce served a full six-year term as a U.S. senator and after his political career ended, the family’s influence waned, and with it, the financial security they once enjoyed.
Systemic Racism and Financial Barriers: In a society that actively worked to suppress Black prosperity, it was difficult for African American families to safeguard their wealth. The Bruce family faced discriminatory practices in banking, real estate, and business that hindered their ability to sustain or grow their assets. Unlike white families, who had greater access to intergenerational wealth-building opportunities, Black families like the Bruces struggled to pass on substantial inheritances to the next generation.
Loss of Political Leverage: Without Blanche Bruce’s position in the Senate, the family lost much of the influence that had once provided them with access to high-level connections and financial security. This loss of political clout further isolated the family from opportunities that might have helped them preserve their wealth.
Personal Family Crises: The Bruce’s only son Roscoe inherited the family’s wealth, but he found himself surrounded with widespread controversy including acts of embezzlement from which he could not recover and that effectively destroyed the family’s elite and financial position. Upon her death, Mrs. Bruce was living modestly and her son, now with a wife and three children, was a property manager with his son. He passed away in New York while living with his daughter.
Wealth Transfer and the Next Generation: What Happened to the Bruce Legacy?
Josephine and Blanche Bruce had one child, Roscoe Conkling Bruce, born in 1879. He was the sole heir to the Bruce fortune, Roscoe inherited both the financial legacy and the burden of continuing the Bruce family’s tradition of public service and Black upliftment.
Roscoe Bruce was a well-educated man, having graduated from Harvard University, where he excelled academically. He carried on his parents’ legacy of leadership and activism, dedicating his life to improving educational opportunities for African Americans. Roscoe served as the superintendent of Black schools in Washington, D.C., and later worked for the Tuskegee Institute, where his mother had been a key figure.
His personal financial mismanagement, systemic racism, and the economic instability of the early 20th century, eroded much of the remaining Bruce family fortune.
Did Bruce's Wealth Vanish?
By the time of Josephine Bruce’s death on February 15, 1923, the family’s fortune had significantly declined. Although Roscoe Bruce continued to uphold his parents’ commitment to education and civil rights, he did not enjoy the same level of wealth and influence that his parents had during the height of Reconstruction.
The decline of the Bruce family’s wealth serves as a powerful reminder of the systemic barriers that have historically prevented Black families from building and sustaining intergenerational wealth. It also underscores the importance of preserving and honoring the legacies of trailblazing figures like Josephine Bruce, whose contributions to Black empowerment continue to inspire and guide us today.
This is a financial education series of The New Lavilla. Find us at Thenewlavilla.com and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-new-lavilla and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thenewlavilla/
