Earn Your Leisure: "The Black Family That Built America"

Episode Date: September 14, 2025
Guests: Cheryl McKissick Daniel (CEO & President, McKissick & McKissick)
Hosts: Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings

Episode Overview

This episode features Cheryl McKissick Daniel, the fifth-generation CEO of McKissick & McKissick, the oldest Black- and woman-owned construction firm in the United States. The conversation traces the 230-year journey of the McKissick family, from slavery to becoming one of the most prominent construction dynasties in America. Cheryl discusses her new book, "The Black Family Who Built America," and unpacks the values, strategies, and legacy of McKissick & McKissick.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Cheryl McKissick Daniel and the McKissick Legacy

• Cheryl is recognized as a repeat guest and a notable figure at Invest Fest.
• She is now also a published author with "The Black Family Who Built America."
• The McKissick family business boasts six generations (fifth currently active) of continuous operation, making it a historic legacy in construction.

Memorable Resume Highlights

• Landmark projects: JFK International Airport Terminal 1, Barclays Center, Long Island Railroad Vanderbilt Yard, Fulton Fish Market, Mega Evers College, Harlem Hospital Patient Pavilion, and Coney Island Hospital.

  [03:00] B: "Most people frequent these places. They don't really think that's part of their portfolio."

2. The 230-Year Family History in Construction

From Slavery to the Skyline

• Originates with Moses McKissick I, a slave who made bricks in North Carolina (1790).
• His son, Moses II, became a master carpenter before being gifted to another family as property, then moved post-emancipation to Tennessee, where the business began.
• Moses III and his brother became the first Black licensed architects in America (licenses 117 & 118 in Tennessee).
• The company passed through subsequent generations, maintaining family leadership and evolving capacity.

[05:48] C: "After it was over 200 years that Moses McKissick the first laid his first brick. And here we are 200 years later, an unshakable pillar in a country that is dealing with questions that we've answered already around equality, equity, opportunity... We proudly say, who built this? We did."

The Company as a Mirror and Beacon:

• A mirror reflecting the often overlooked role of Black professionals in American development.
• A beacon of perseverance and purpose, serving as an exemplar for opportunity and equity.

3. Sustaining and Scaling Across Generations

• The McKissick model: family values, education, adapting without losing identity, and building both for the wider world and their own Black community.
• Their success is linked to ownership, intentionality, and lifting up others:
  • Built Black churches, colleges, and hospitals, especially in communities that faced discrimination elsewhere.
  • Forged strong networks with other Black professionals and contractors for a sturdy foundation and collective advancement.

[08:19] C: "As you grow in business, you also have to lift others up with you. If you stand by yourself, then that's a problem. You're easy to knock off. But if you bring in a strong foundation ... each other. We can all work together as a network as opposed to an individual."

• Education advanced with every generation, reinforcing business longevity and upward mobility.

4. The 5 Ps Philosophy: Core to Generational Success

Perseverance, Preparedness, Persistence, Productivity, and Prayer

• Perseverance: Surviving adversity daily; entering spaces where Black women were rare, if present at all.
  • [10:08] C: "Perseverance is getting up every day in the face of adversity, period."
  • [10:25] C: "The first time I ever went to the New York building Congress, a sea of white men in suits, 500. And I don't think they thought I had anything to contribute."
• Persistence: Relentless pursuit of dreams regardless of obstacles.
• Productivity: Having a tangible, enduring impact—evidenced in historic buildings, universities, and hospitals.
  • [11:10] C: "We have documented the black experience in this country through our buildings, through the universities that we built, the hospitals, the schools. And so that's, to me, is productivity."
• Preparedness: Ongoing professional development and drawing on education and experience.
• Prayer/Purpose: Centering purpose and spirituality to tackle overwhelming challenges.
  • [11:53] C: "If you wake up every day with a purpose on your mind, a God given purpose, then you will achieve it."
  • [12:09] C: "Prayer is the one I added because some days that's exactly what I need. Prayer. I'm in constant contact saying, lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable unto you."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the family’s generational purpose:

  [05:48] C (Cheryl): "We stand as a mirror for America and a beacon ... We're a beacon because we are exactly what happens when perseverance meets purpose."

• On Black professionals as 'hidden figures':

  [06:12] C: "Black Americans really are like the hidden figures in this country who have contributed so much. I mean, we actually did build America."

• On scaling and community:

  [08:19] C: "As you grow in business, you also have to lift others up with you. If you stand by yourself, then that's a problem."

• On faith and business:

  [12:09] C: "Prayer. I'm in constant contact saying, lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable unto you. Not to anyone else, but to you."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:20-03:42]: Introduction of Cheryl McKissick Daniel's career and McKissick & McKissick's storied project portfolio
• [04:05-06:47]: Cheryl recounts the 230-year family history and the business's origin during slavery
• [06:47-09:14]: Strategies and values behind scaling the business across generations
• [09:14-12:38]: Deep dive into the 5 Ps and how they shaped both her leadership and the firm's legacy

Conclusion

This conversation offers a rare, moving, and practical look inside America’s oldest Black-owned, woman-owned construction empire. Cheryl McKissick Daniel shares not only her family’s hidden history but also deeply relevant lessons on perseverance, ownership, network-building, and faith. It’s a testament to the unacknowledged builders of America and a blueprint for anyone seeking to build generational legacy in any field.