The Art of Numbers Running An African American Underground Economy

At the top of the mid-twentieth century, specifically in the 1920s and 1930s, African Americans established several creative ways to support themselves economically. For example, some held rent parties, some took in boarders, some participated in sex work, and others engaged in an illegal underground lottery known as “policy” or “numbers.” The basic concept for this underground economy was that players would pick a Kenny Scott as WOLF with Michael J. Asberry as HOLLOWAY, Lamont Thompson as set of three-digit numbers and MEMPHIS in a Tech Rehearsal Run. Scenic Design by Stephen C. Jones, Costumes by Alice Ruiz, Lights by Kurt Landisman, Props by Liam Rudisill. (Photo by Nakissa Etemad) attempt to match them with the winning number. Winning numbers were selected by either mysterious policy operators, published numbers from the New York Stock Exchange, or bank clearing totals. Numbers was an alternative way for impoverished communities, especially Black communities, to gain financial stability, thus supplying them with everyday needs such as clothing, food, and housing. Many African Americans were fortunate enough to win a cumbersome amount of money. They would, in turn, purchase a home, invest in a bar or small grocery store, or initiate a numbers game in their neighborhood. This underground economy also provided employment opportunities for African Americans. As illustrated by the character Wolf in Two Trains Running, people created jobs by becoming a “numbers runner/collector” – recording the threedigit bet and paying out the money if someone wins. Although the numbers game today (now typically referred to as the lottery) has variations for the wager, the most common bet, as observed in Two Trains Running, was a “straight” bet or a “box/boxed” bet. The straight bet means that a person will win only if the numbers drawn are an identical match (also known as an exact order). For example, if someone makes a wager for “572,” they win only if the number is drawn precisely the same way: “572.” However, if someone makes a boxed wager, and the same three numbers are drawn in any order, they are declared a winner, albeit the payout is lower than a straight bet.