Lost Fortunes: The Wealthy Black Women Who Inherited Empires Before the Civil Rights Act—And Where Their Wealth Went(Part 16 of 28: Dorothy West)

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 Henrietta 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.

Dorothy West: Martha’s Vineyard’s Black Elite Meets Harlem Renaissance

Dorothy West (1907–1998) was a distinguished American novelist, short-story writer, and editor associated with the Harlem Renaissance—a cultural movement that celebrated African-American artistic expression during the 1920s and 1930s.

How Did Dorothy West Inherit Her Wealth

Dorothy West (1907–1998), a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, was born into one of Boston's wealthiest African-American families. Her father, Isaac Christopher West, was a former slave from Virginia who was free by the age of seven and by 10 years old had saved enough money to open a business, including owning an ice cream parlor and food store in Springfield, Massachusetts. He achieved significant financial success after relocating to Boston and building his fortune and reputation as a wholesale fruit merchant, earning the moniker "Black Banana King" of Boston.

Her mother, Rachel Pease Benson West of Camden, South Carolina, and one of 22 children, was a homemaker who nurtured Dorothy’s love for reading and storytelling. An only child, this affluence provided Dorothy with a privileged upbringing, including private tutoring and education at esteemed institutions such as Girls' Latin School and Boston University. West grew up in an opulent four-story house in Boston, where she lived with an extended family that included many of her mother’s siblings and their children.

Growing Her Personal Wealth

West's literary journey commenced early; by age 14, her stories were being published in the Boston Post. In 1926, her short story “The Typewriter” secured second place in a national contest by Opportunity magazine, leading her to immerse herself in the Harlem Renaissance alongside luminaries like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. During this era, she contributed to various publications and founded the magazine Challenge in 1934, followed by New Challenge in 1937. These endeavors, while culturally significant, faced financial constraints and were short-lived.

In 1934, with an investment of $40 (approximately $1,000 today), West launched Challenge, a magazine dedicated to contemporary Black writing. Although the magazine was short-lived, it highlighted her commitment to promoting African-American literature.

Her debut novel, The Living Is Easy, published in 1948, depicted the life of an upper-class African-American family. While it received critical acclaim, it did not achieve substantial commercial success. From the 1940s through the 1960s, West supplemented her income by writing short stories for the New York Daily News, contributing two stories per month. She also wrote a regular column for the Vineyard Gazette after moving to Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on Martha’s Vineyard.

It wasn't until the age of 85, with the publication of her second novel, The Wedding (1995), that West experienced significant commercial success. This novel's acclaim and adaptation into a television miniseries by Oprah Winfrey led to a resurgence of interest in her work, culminating in a collection of stories and essays titled The Richer, the Poorer (1995). Despite this late-career recognition, there is limited information regarding the financial impact of these publications on her personal wealth.

What Happened to Dorothy’s Wealth?

Despite her family's wealth, there is no substantial evidence indicating that Dorothy West inherited significant financial assets upon her father's passing. Instead, she carved her own path, achieving recognition through her literary endeavors.

In her later years, Dorothy resided in her family's cottage on Martha's Vineyard. This 2,100 SF, 5-bedroom, 6.0-bathroom, single-family home situated on one-third of an acre is valued at $1.8 million today. Upon her death in 1998 at the age of 91, she bequeathed this property to her longtime friend and caregiver. Specific details regarding the distribution of any remaining assets are not publicly documented. The specifics of her estate's distribution were not widely publicized.

Given that West did not have children and was an only child, it is plausible that her estate was bequeathed to extended family members, friends, or charitable organizations, though exact details are not publicly documented.

While Dorothy West was born into a prosperous family, her personal wealth appears to have been primarily the result of her own literary achievements rather than inheritance. Her legacy endures through her contributions to American literature and the cultural history of the Harlem Renaissance. Despite her commercial success, West—like many Black writers and artists—faced significant challenges in preserving her financial security. Several factors contributed to the inability to build her personal wealth exclusive of her inheritance:

• Racial Barriers to Wealth Accumulation: Systemic racism in publishing and finance limited West’s ability to accumulate and sustain wealth.

  
  

• Economic Instability and Blacklisting: Political persecution during the McCarthy era diminished her journalistic opportunities, leading to financial hardship.

  
  

• Delayed Literary Recognition: After the publication of The Living Is Easy in 1948, West did not release another novel until The Wedding in 1995, leaving a gap in her literary earnings.

  
  

Dorothy West's financial legacy was modest, reflecting the challenges faced by many African-American women writers of her time in translating literary success into substantial wealth. Nonetheless, her contributions to American literature and her role in the Harlem Renaissance remain significant, inspiring future generations of writers.

Conclusion

In a time when Black excellence was often dismissed or overlooked, the West family broke barriers by achieving social and economic stability. Dorothy, with her sharp intellect and literary aspirations, was determined to carry that legacy forward.

Dorothy West's enduring legacy lies in her profound contributions to American literature and her role in the Harlem Renaissance.

Although known for her modest lifestyle, Dorothy’s writings garnered critical acclaim and, later in life, commercial success. Detailed information about her personal wealth and the management of her estate remains limited. Her life exemplifies the challenges faced by many artists in translating cultural influence into substantial financial wealth, highlighting the often intangible nature of literary legacy.

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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/