SHARING THE ACCOMPLIHMENTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN NORTHERN NEVADA HISTORY
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Ceola Davis
Ceola Davis, a long time resident, small business owner and community advocate of Northern Nevada, has spent over 55 years supporting her community. With her entrepreneurial and creative leadership Ceola began her career in Reno Nevada as an Operator for Nevada Bell and worked her way up through various managerial roles before retiring out after 34 years of service.
While working at Nevada Bell Ceola joined the Negro Business & Professional Women Club in the late 1960’s where she worked tirelessly, and on several occasions presided over, to advance the cause of African American women in her area. Ceola also founded Cornucopia Magazine, later changed to EnSoul Magazine, in the late 1970’s and it stayed in regular publication for over 30 years.
Soon after retiring in the mid 1980’s Ceola opened a beauty supply store that catered specifically to the African American community. The business soon expanded to offer salon services. But Ceola’s business, EnSoul, was much more than just a beauty center. Through her hard work it developed a long history and reputation of providing a place for civic groups to meet, for other entrepreneurs to develop their skills and ideas, a headquarter for cultural development, an information center for the African American Northern Nevada community, a place for visiting black entertainers to come and get beauty supplies to help them prepare for their shows in the Reno/Tahoe area, a Fourth Street art gallery for local artist, a photo studio and a printing/graphics service.
Ceola closed EnSoul in 2017 but continues to support her community, take photographs at cultural events and provide printing services.
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Reno Gazette-Journal Article 2
