Tulsa Oklahoma’s Greenwood District (Black Wall Street)
Boluwaji Ogunyemi talks Black Wallstreet, a symbol of African-American potential and site of the worst race riot of its time
Less than a century ago, a positive community of African-Americans served as a shining example of the potential of those of African descent — Black Wallstreet.
Following the Civil War, many African-Americans settled in Oklahoma due to the wealth from oil fields.
In 1908 the Greenwood Heights community in Tulsa, Oklahoma was established. It was known as “the Negro Wallstreet” and was comparable in affluence to Beverly Hills today. About 15,000 African-Americans lived in this neighbourhood.
The Greenwood business district boasted around 600 African-American owned, successful businesses including modest two-seat barber shops to family-run grocery stores. It was one of the most concentrated African-American business communities in America.
A number of jazz and blues artists also sprung from this area. Greenwood was also home to not one, but two black newspapers: The Tulsa Star and The Oklahoma Sun.
Read more at The Gazette
I would like to be able to visit the “Black Wall Street” in Tulas Oklahoma. I seem to be having a hard time findings the address of the musem for the “Black Wall Street”. Could you please help me out.
Brian Vickers
October 24, 2008 at 1:08 am
Imagine Greenwood today sans a 1921 riot. I have known of the events of may and june 1921 for nearly half of my 41 years on this planet, and I think that the story has to be shared with the current genration of young blacks, particulaly young males (many of whom are murdering each other for the sport of it.) We must truly undestand the many atrocities our people had to endure so that we could have even a chance at succeeding at whatever endeavor. Whites were baffled by the sight of the many African Americans who sobbed at the news of Barack Obama being elected the 44th president of the United States, they are completely unable to empathize with a history that includes, The Tulsa/Greenwood riot of 1921, The Atlanta Georgia riot of 1906, The murder and imprisonment of black leaders who simply wanted a better life and an equal oppotunity for their people, Jim Crow and over two hundred years of slave labor. Black people of this generation, young and old owe a great debt of gratitude to those who came before them, paving a path to respectability, at times literally in blood. Glenn Paul Atlanta, Georgia
Gpaul
November 21, 2008 at 12:40 am
Were can I get a catalog listing the names and address of the Business on Greenwood & Archer from 1906 to May 1921
Thank you
Felecia
February 5, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Hi i am wondering why my father James Lee Madden isn listed as the first black mail carrier in oklahoma i have searched and i see nothing on him,how can i get him recognized.
Kerry madden
March 4, 2009 at 4:03 pm
My Great Grandmother Thelma Knight is one of the few remaining living survivors of the race riot. I grew up being educated about the horrific incident that caused forever pain and agony to the black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. If you read the history you will find there were pharmacies, grocery stores, barber and beauty shops, law firms, tailors, and etc of black owned businesses that were burned to the ground without a dime paid back to rebuild. Black millionaires existed in multiples there and it was all taken away. Never to be the same. Nothing for black families to pass down for tradition, just the sad story. No one wants to be held responsible,they always want to say it was out ancestors who are long gone so why should they have to pay, but in reality some are still blessed to be here now and first of all we are barely a generation removed from being witnesses to it all. Please educate your children of this occurence.Not just because it is history but to show them that everything a black has ever had they had to work from the bottom to the top; and to become educated because they will have to separate themselves and prove their crudentials. God bless
Monique Rentie
March 11, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Brian Vickers
http://greenwoodculturalcenter.com/ for information on the museum.
senoje
July 26, 2009 at 11:53 pm