August 2nd 2023.
Two prominent Black Charleston entrepreneurs, Albert and Benjamin Brooks, are being honored in a major way. Recently, city officials and the Brooks' family descendants gathered at the corner of Morris and Felix streets to dedicate a sign at the intersection in the brothers' honor. The new street sign reads, “Brooks Way, Honoring A Legacy.”
For over sixty years, the Brooks brothers owned and operated several businesses in the same area, including the Brooks Motel, the Brooks Restaurant, and the Brooks Realty office. These businesses not only provided success for the brothers, but also created a safe gathering space for members of the Black community in downtown Charleston. The Brooks Motel was a particularly popular spot for churchgoers, who could continue fellowship with their community members over a meal after church. Many iconic civil rights leaders, such as Coretta Scott King, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and Martin Luther King, Sr., were frequent visitors of the Brooks Motel.
At the unveiling of the street sign, Kenneth Reid, a representative of the Brooks family, commended the brothers for their work, and for creating a bold legacy. He said, “This event, no matter how small it was, it told us and reinforced the fact that these two men really served the community, and the community remembered.”
Jean Brooks Murphy, daughter of Benjamin Brooks, remembers working at the motel while in high school and college. She also shared that her father and uncle helped other Black entrepreneurs launch businesses in the city. In 2022, in honor of the Brooks' legacy, she partnered with the daughter of fellow Charleston-based business owner Henry Smith and the Preservation Society of Charleston to create the Black Business of Charleston Oral History Project. Through this project, both women shared the struggles of their successful parents, with the hopes of bringing on a deeper appreciation for Black businesses.
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