Boykin Grocery was a major grocery wholesaler in Wilson for decades. The business moved to this handsome brick building, formerly home to Barnes-Harrell Grocery Company, in the mid-1920s, and this photograph was likely taken shortly thereafter. (The building still stands, largely unaltered except for the enclosure of the bays, at the corner of Barnes and Douglas Streets.) 

The front office staff, all clad in dark suits except the lone woman, stands in front of the first bay. To their left, six African-American men (one is barely visible on the running board) lean against two company vehicles, and a sixth leans against the building. The men standing at the cars were likely truck drivers, like Willie Forbes and Orlando Farmer.

Photo courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III. Thank you!