Historic Black Wall Street building re-opens for business
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The center of Durham's Black Wall Street is once again open for business.
The M&F Bank celebrated 113 years with a ribbon-cutting of the old Mechanics and Farmers Bank building on West Parrish Street in downtown Durham.
The six-story brick building was declared a national historic landmark in 1975.
RELATED: How Black business contributed to Durham's history
The bank formerly served as the headquarters for the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, a business with a focus on life insurance for African-Americans.
Organized in 1907, the M&F Bank is North Carolina's oldest African-American owned bank; the second oldest in the United States.
In the early 1900s, Black-owned businesses lined Parrish Street, receiving national reputation for entrepreneurship.
