The purpose of this article is to reveal the significant contributions made by African-Americans to Business History, and advocating its relevance to Management Education. This paper contributes to Business and Management History by heralding the philosophies and practices of Charles Clinton Spaulding, and other individuals who considerably influenced black entrepreneurship and management thought. The contributions made by people of color have not been adequately covered in the literature, and Spaulding’s article “The Administration of Big Business” is one example of the management thought leadership, produced by African-Americans, that existed in the early 20th century, and should be referenced today in Management and Entrepreneurship courses. His article provided eight “fundamental necessities” of management, which are still relevant, and from which present-day students can learn, to further develop their business acumen.
The authors of this manuscript aim to convey a portion of this history by instilling, from a critical pedagogical perspective, the importance of business educators incorporating African-American Management History into the curriculum as a method to increase the entrepreneurial self-efficacy of black students.