in 1906 the white family moved to philadelphia, pennsylvania, which had a well-established black community. the city began to attract more blacks as it had many industrial jobs; it was a destination in the great migration for thousands of african americans out of the south in the early twentieth century. white founded a commercial savings bank as well as practicing law. he also was a co-founder of the town of whitesboro in southern new jersey as a planned community developed for african americans. he worked with prominent investors such as booker t. washington, president of tuskegee institute; and poet paul laurence dunbar; along with two daughters of judge mifflin w. gibbs: ida gibbs hunt and harriet gibbs marshall.