The world of business, big and small, is moving ever faster. This is particularly true for black businesses. Today there are black entrepreneurs who are involved in all aspects of business that we could not have dreamed about a generation ago. We go back to the future to discuss how modern black businesses can learn from the lessons of history with the author of “The Entrepreneurial Spirits of Yesterday: A Celebration of 100 African-American Business and Communities from 1850 – 1950”.