Tillery, Julius
Contemporary · Contribution: 2016
Farmer & Entrepreneur
Fifth-generation cotton farmer and founder of Black Cotton (2016), which markets Black-grown cotton as home decor and accessories while advocating for Black farmers and land retention

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- c. 1986
- Active since
- 2016
- Category
- Agriculture & Food
- Best known for
- Founded Black Cotton"Cotton is our culture"Black land-retention advocate
Impact on the world
Tillery transformed cotton's painful legacy into a business and a statement of Black pride, farming land his family has held since emancipation. He pairs entrepreneurship with active land-retention advocacy.
Sources
- North Carolina Department of Agriculture
2 more sources and references are available to members.
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