Appreciate Your Civil Rights Norris B. Herndon MBA
- I Am Me Inc
- Jun 1
- 3 min read
It might surprise you to learn that a gay man played a crucial role in funding the Civil Rights Movement. While Bayard Rustin is widely acknowledged as the brilliant strategist who worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., often staying out of the limelight due to his sexual orientation, another gay man not only financed Dr. King's movement but also offered safe meeting spaces. This man's company, Atlanta Life Insurance Company, even provided an insurance policy for Dr. King when others would not.
That man was Norris B. Herndon. Born on July 15, 1897, he was the sole child of former "passing"slaves and Georgia's first African-American millionaire businessman, Alonzo F. Herndon, and his wife, Adrienne Elizabeth McNeil-Herndon, an Atlanta University graduate and educator. The Herndons' light skin allowed them to blend into white neighborhoods without being noticed, securing Norris's financial stability and instilling in him a deep sense of philanthropy from an early age. At just 7 years old, he was present with his father, who was actively involved in organizing and advocating for Black causes, including the Niagara Movement. This civil rights initiative, started by his father, W.E.B. Du Bois, John Hope, and others, later developed into the NAACP.
In 1921, Norris obtained a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard University’s Business School in Massachusetts. Six years later, following his father's passing, the twenty-eight-year-old Herndon became the second president of Atlanta Life Insurance Company, then valued at $1 million. By the time he retired in 1973, the company's assets had reached $84 million under his leadership. In 1948, Herndon donated land and funds to construct Herndon Stadium at Atlanta University. By 1952, his dedication to philanthropy resulted in the establishment of the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation, a nonprofit organization that remains focused on education, mentoring, and entrepreneurship. He also continued to support the NAACP, United Negro College Fund, African American YMCA, Atlanta University, Morris Brown College, First Congregational Church in Atlanta, and the National Urban League, among others.
Norris was a very successful philanthropist and entrepreneur who played a crucial role in the civil rights movement. Because of societal attitudes towards homosexuality, he was forced to live discreetly, with his close associates safeguarding his secret. As mentioned in The Reckoning, Atlanta Life board president Giles, who also leads the board of the non-profit Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation, noted that Norris was gay during the online presentation he gave for Business Insurance’s Diversity and Inclusion Institute. He never married or had children. According to my sources, he was always modest, well-mannered, and giving.
On June 7, 1977, Norris died at home in bed from a heart attack. He is now buried in the South View Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia. Herndon's legacy highlights that LGBTQ+ individuals continue to fight for universal freedoms, even in the face of societal suppression of LGBTQ+ progress in America today.
Appreciate your civil rights! I wonder if those with homophobic views would reconsider the advantages of the Civil Rights movements if they realized that Norris Herndon, a gay man, funded it.
I hope you found value in our monthly educational blog, published on the first Monday of each month, which highlights the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals throughout history. Understanding history is crucial as it sheds light on our experiences, contributions, and the societal changes that are necessary. If you have a suggestion for a person to feature or wish to create an I Am Me History Blog, please reach out to Peirrce M. at peirrce@iammecorp.org.
Thank you for dedicating time to History!
Notes:
Dixon, E. (2016, March 09). Norris Bumstead Herndon (1897-1977). BlackPast.org
Retrieved from The Circle Association's African American History of Western New York State
1900 to 1935
Hilliard, M. (Feb 10) Black Gaye History - Norris B. Herndon, First Black Gay Millionaire GayeMagazine.com
Retrieved from Britannica Online
Lee, Ryan. (2021, October 18). Norris B. Herndon Remains the Black Gay Millionaire 'Nobody Knows'
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