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From the Revolutionary War to today, here are 50 Black entrepreneurs along with their influences on the business world and, often, civil rights. For more galleries visit Stacker .
Notable companies founded by Black entrepreneurs
Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Something in the Water
JAY-Z | World-famous rapper Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter founded Roc-A-Fella Records in 1995 as a division of Def Jam Recordings. Although Brooklyn native Jay-Z has become a Black business mogul in several more successful avenues, Rock-A-Fella was an extremely influential hip-hop label for over two decades before closing in 2013.