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Stephen Slade was a member of the Black community in Piedmont that developed the incredibly profitable Brightleaf Tobacco. Its creation shaped the two cities of Durham, North Carolina, and Danville, Virginia, as well as the communities within those cities. 

Tobacco

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Community

The creation of Brightleaf tobacco created a cash crop in the Piedmont, which became a critical part of the economies in Durham and Danville. Many members of Danville's Black community worked in the tobacco industry. This community played a significant role in Claudius 'C.B.' Claiborne's life and upbringing. 

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