Lawrence Otis Graham is a nationally known attorney and commentator on race, politics, and class in America. He has written an astonishing book about America’s Black Upper Class. Graham’s book is titled: OUR KIND of PEOPLE. I enjoyed the book and personally knew many of the families that he mentioned. I was not happy that he did not include the Black Upper Class of Montgomery, Alabama. He made it as far down as Tuskegee mentioning black upper class families like DIBBLE, TILDEN, and BRANCHE. I have decided to help Mr. Graham out with his next book by letting him know that Montgomery, Alabama has a black upper class that is alive and well. 

Montgomery, Alabama is a relatively small sleepy city with a population of less than 400,000. Among its many fine citizens are an elite group of blacks that include old and new money, political power that reaches around the world and enough self-confidence and courage to have created a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  

Among the old influential upper class black families in this great city are: UNDERWOOD, SEAY, WINSTON, JOHN, LANGFORD, WILLIAMS, CONLEY, JORDAN, PENN, WOODS, CARR, NESBITT,STEVENS,GLASS, TRENHOLM, WATKINS, LEWIS, ROSS, CLAYTON, CUMMINGS, PHILLIPS, RILEY ,STEVENS, DIXON, GILMORE, SIPPIAL ETC. Among the new influential upper class black families in this great city are: CALHOUN, THOMAS, MEANS, GILLIS, SEAWRIGHT, CARTER, KNIGHT, HOLMES, RIGGINS, McPHERSON, REED, GASKIN, McCORVEY, ARNELL, BATES, BUSKEY, McCLAMMY, McCALL, PRICE, MAY, MASSEY, COOK, LIGGINS, DEAN, WILLIAMS, JOHNSON, BRADFORD, GRIFFIN,CARMICHAEL,BAKER, DAWSON, COVINGTON,JOHNSON, SMITH, DANIELS, JENKINS, HAMPTON, SULLIVAN, PATTON, TATE, LEWIS, BROWN, BRAY, MARABLE, BURKE, BELL ,PIERCE ,MILLER, DAVIS, ADAMS, ABERNATHY, AGEE, ALDRIDGE, ANDERSON ,ANDREWS ,ANTHONY, ARRINGTON, ARMSTRONG, BAILEY, BALDWIN, MORRIS, BEAN, BELCHER, BERRY,BETHUNE, ARMSTEAD, AYENI, AUSBORN, CRAWFORD, VAUGHAN,TRIMBLE, KENNEDY, BAYLOR, STOUDEMIRE, NEWKIRK, HATCHER,VARNADORE,RAMSEY, LITTLETON, ERVIN, LEE, THOMAS, HARRIS, HARRISON, MARTIN MARYLAND ,MASTIN, SMILEY, JAMES, McKINNEY, ROSE, McTIRE,THORNTON, NETTLES, KNUCKLES,MOORE, NIXON,NORRIS, OATES,OLIVER, OWENS, PALMER, PARKER,BROADNAX, PARKS, PATTERSON,JACKSON, PERRY,GILLIARD, GAINES, NICKSON, SHAVER, WRIGHT,HENDERSON, WATSON,HOPSON, TYSON, TURNER,WALKER, WASHINGTON,WEBSTER, BIBBINS,RICHARDSON, PITTERS,PITTS, RAMOS,HARPER, ASHLEY, LAWSON, STALLWORTH, FRANKLIN,BARRY,JONES,BULLOCK,PREWITT, PRINGLE, PUGH, WALTON,BURK, BRIDDLE, THOMPSON, ODOM, ETC. 

Many of these powerful and influential families are affiliated with Alabama State University, local state and national governments, private enterprise and religious institutions. If you are concerned that your family name is not mentioned I suggest that you purchase a copy of Mr. Graham’s book.. In classifying who was in the Black Upper Class, Mr. Graham had this to say:

BRYANT GUMBLE is, BUT BILL COSBY isn’t. LENA HORNE is, but WHITNEY HOUSTON isn’t. ANDREW YOUNG is, but JESSE JACKSON isn’t. And neither is MAYA ANGELOU, ALICE WALKER, CLARENCE THOMAS, OR QUINCY JONES. And even though both of them try extremely hard, neither DIANA ROSS nor ROBIN GIVENS will ever be. 

Winning the lottery does not place one in the upper class of Black America. There are certain things that must be done for generations before one can rightfully be placed in that category. Until you are able to reach that height remember my dad Dr. Melvin J. Griffin Sr.’s favorite saying: “IF YOU DON’T HAVE MONEY, AT LEAST HAVE CLASS.

Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com