Hidden Hospitality

Rediscover Black-Owned Hotels, Motels, and Resorts--and the History Behind Them >Calvin Stovall, a seasoned hospitality professional with nearly thirty years of experience, brings this overlooked history to light. In Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotels, Motels, and Resorts from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era, Stovall shares the inspiring stories of these pioneers. He highlights the immense challenges they faced and the enduring impact of their establishments, showing how these spaces became vibrant hubs of Black culture, where people could gather, find joy, and be their true selves.

Through vivid stories and photographs, Stovall covers the entire chronology of Black hospitality, from the Royal Navy Hotel, an eighteenth-century establishment managed by a free woman of color, to significant fixtures during the Green Book era, such as the Majestic Hotel--a city unto itself--as well as the Hotel Theresa, where historical figures were known to unpack their bags. All along, Stovall captures how Black hoteliers not only built businesses but also created dynamic spaces for culture and community. They were more than places to stay--they were lively centers of Black art, music, and social life, influencing the broader society around them.

Stovall helps us better understand the Black experience by highlighting stories long forgotten or never told. The history of Black hospitality, rich with creativity, resilience, and legacy, continues to unfold, reminding us that the story is far from over.

Calvin Stovall became interested in Black History early on when his mother gave him a large book featuring historically influential African Americans. While in elementary school, he was selected, along with two of his classmates, to participate in a Black History competition held at the DuSable Black History Museum on Chicago's southside. From here his passion only grew.

Calvin's career in hospitality informally began as a front desk clerk at downtown Chicago's Holiday Inn Chicago City Centre. After earning a business administration degree from Chicago State University, he would graduate with a master of professional studies from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Since then Calvin has enjoyed a nearly thirty-year career in the hospitality industry, during which he served as vice president of brand marketing with Hilton Worldwide. He has also worked in the nonprofit sector as a brand marketing strategist with ALSAC, the brand awareness and fundraising arm for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, as well as CEO of the Soulsville Foundation, a nonprofit based in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to currently running his own business called ICONIC Presentations, LLC, which delivers high-energy keynotes and workshops for organizations nationwide, he also serves as the Director of Executive Programs for The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI) based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

During his tenure at Cornell University, Calvin was asked by the chair and cofounder of the first chapter of the National Society of Minority Hoteliers (NSMH) to conduct research on the historical contributions of African American hoteliers for one of their first conferences-and this is where his journey with Hidden Hospitality began.