So named because this book covers the business community of West Chester, PA., which was "uptown" from historic black neighborhoods, Walking the "Uptown" was designed to be both a scholarly resource and a walking tour documenting the lives of 19th-century black entrepreneurs and the many "firsts" in the 20th century black business community.
The 90-page book also includes an extensive appendix with profiles of the early residents who were part of the northern migration of free blacks and former slaves before and after the Civil War. A particular focus is on those members of the black business community who operated oyster bars and catering businesses "Uptown," but who were eventually forced to relocate to the "East End," the town's historic black community.
The book also documents the Civil Rights era. West Chester native Bayard Rustin formulated many of his tactics of nonviolent action in West Chester.