Iconic Presentations, LLC

Long before women were widely recognized as business leaders, many were already shaping the future of hospitality. In honor of Women’s History Month, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on the historic women entrepreneurs and hoteliers whose bold leadership helped define our industry.

Mrs. Dorothy Nash Tookes and her husband, James, owned and operated the Tookes Hotel in Tallahassee, FL, for more than forty years. The eleven-bedroom, one-story rooming house and hotel in Frenchtown offered the only lodging for African American visitors to Tallahassee during the era of racial segregation.

Mrs. Tookes was an equal rights advocate, but she had no idea how her servantship and entrepreneurial spirit would lead to a business venture that would cement her name in history. During the mid-1940s, she saw an opportunity (and necessity) for a hotel within the Black community. In 1948, she and her husband turned their home into a rooming house and hotel.

By the 1950s, they were marketing the home as the Tookes Hotel. In the early 1950s, Mrs. Tookes added two rooms to the hotel. The property would soon become a vibrant hub for the Black community. The Tookes Hotel was listed in the city directory and marked outside with one of the first neon signs in Tallahassee.

At the time, the Tookes Hotel was the only lodging establishment in Leon County to offer rooms to African Americans when visiting segregated Tallahassee. Even after segregation ended, the hotel was still so popular that more rooms were added in 1971. The Tookes Hotel remained in operation until the early 1980s.

Dorothy Tookes ran the hotel until her death at age eighty-four in 1988.

In 1992, the City of Tallahassee recognized Ms. Tookes for her outstanding service to the Tallahassee community.

On January 26, 2001, the property was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Learn more about Dorothy Nash Tookes in my NAACP Image Award-nominated book, Hidden Hospitality. calvinstovall.com

Mrs. Dorothy Nash Tookes image courtesy of grandson Ronald McCoy of the Tookes family.

BlackExcellence

In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate the trailblazing women entrepreneurs and hoteliers whose leadership helped define the industry we know today and opened doors for generations to follow.

Sara Spencer Washington was a prominent Black businesswoman, entrepreneur, hotelier, philanthropist, civil rights activist, and one of America’s first Black millionaires. “Madame Washington,” as she was widely known, was the owner of Apex Enterprises, a hair products empire based in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In 1944, Washington purchased the 250-room Brigantine Hotel from religious leader Father Devine and established the first integrated beachfront in the Atlantic City area. Previously, Black beachgoers, including luminaries like Martin Luther King Jr. and Sammy Davis Jr., were relegated to two blocks of beachfront between Missouri and Mississippi Avenues, fondly known as Chicken Bone Beach.

Although she suffered a stroke in 1947, which left her paralyzed, Washington continued to provide for Atlantic City’s Black community and operate her empire until her death in 1953.

Washington was posthumously inducted into the Atlantic County Women’s Hall of Fame in 1997. In October 2021, she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

The Brigantine Hotel, now known as Legacy Vacation Resorts Brigantine, is the only building associated with Washington’s empire still standing today.

Learn more about Washington in my NAACP Image Award-nominated book, Hidden Hospitality. calvinstovall.com/shop

Sara Spencer Washington image courtesy of the Atlantic City Free Public Library.

On January 26th, I delivered my first international keynote in Dublin, Ireland! 🇮🇪 The Salon Owners Summit was a two-day event hosted by global salon software company Phorest Software.

My keynote — “The Art of the WOW Experience” was delivered to more than 650 enterprising hair, beauty, and medi-aesthetic business owners from the UK, Ireland, Canada, Europe, Australia, and North America. 🌏

It was one of the most electrifying experiences I’ve had in my speaking career. The attendees were so enthusiastic, engaged and eager to learn. The amount of jubilation I felt when their applause erupted at the conclusion of my keynote was indescribable! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Dyana Wi******er, owner of The Wi******er Spa and Salon in Summerville, SC wrote this unsolicited testimonial about her experience at the summit.

, thank you for entrusting me and giving me the opportunity to play a role in the Salon Owners Summit! I’m immensely grateful! 🙏🏽

Do Kendrick Lamar, Teyana Taylor, and Hidden Hospitality have something in common? Yes — we’ve all been nominated for an NAACP Image Award!

Hidden Hospitality has been nominated for Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction, and I’m still pinching myself to be sure this isn’t a dream. 💭

https://www.ebony.com/57th-annual-naacp-image-awards-complete-nominations-list/

I want to sincerely thank everyone who made this project possible through their generous support — including the AHLA Foundation, Salamander Collection, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Southeast Tourism Society, Washington Hospitality Association, and so many valued partners. And a special thank you to my incredible publisher, Brown Books Publishing Group.

To everyone who purchased a copy of Hidden Hospitality — your support means more than you know. This book was truly a labor of love, many years in the making, and I’m humbled by how deeply it has resonated with the hospitality community.

God is amazing! Thank you all! 🙏🏽

Now… time to start preparing that acceptance speech. 🖊️

Purchase your copy of Hidden Hospitality today!👉🏾 https://www.calvinstovall.com/shop

Now Booking for Black History Month 2026!

Introducing the Hidden Hospitality Experience— a powerful, one-of-a-kind keynote + private book signing that brings to life the untold stories of Black hotel, motel, and resort owners who shaped hospitality history.

This is more than a presentation.
It’s a journey. A tribute. A celebration of legacy.

February is only TWO months away — dates are extremely limited.

Now booking dates for:

👉🏾 Corporations
👉🏾 Associations
👉🏾 Schools & Universities
👉🏾 Libraries
👉🏾 Cultural Organizations/ Societies

Let your Black History Month programming be unforgettable this year!

📆 February 2026 is filling fast—and there are only a few dates left!

DM me now or email me at [email protected] to secure your date before they’re gone. 🕰️

Pictured: Arthur George “A.G.” Gaston, owner of A.G. Gaston Motel. Image courtesy of The Birmingham, Alabama, Public Library Archives.

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