Dennard Road: The Path to Economic Freedom

The street directly north of my parent’s home in Twiggs County, Georgia is named, “Dennard Road.” The story of how Dennard Road became our namesake involves risk taking, effective market anticipation, identifying advocates and creating generational wealth. David Dennard (Photos provided/Jamar Cobb-Dennard) My great-great-great grandfather’s mid-1800s post-slavery migration from Houston County to Twiggs Co., Georgia, set the stage for this example of investment opportunities by free blacks. In 1890, two generations after the family settled in Twiggs Co., my great grandfather, David Dennard was born into those opportunities. David Dennard was a successful farmer who had a profound effect on Twiggs Co. His father taught him how to farm. This gave Dennard a skill that could create income for his family of twelve children. Just like the generation prior, Dennard’s kids worked the farm and learned how to make money from the land. My grandfather, Benjamin, became a farmer and business owner, too. Trade and business skills will run in the family if the skills are taught. It is important for us to teach our children the valuable skills of business ownership, financial management, how to deal with people, and how to take calculated risks. It was not his success...