Black Wall Street: A Legacy of Wealth and Resilience
Before its destruction, Greenwood was one of the wealthiest Black communities in America.
In the early 1900s, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma — known as Black Wall Street — was home to more than 600 Black-owned businesses, from hotels and movie theaters to law firms and grocery stores. It stood as a model of Black prosperity, self-sufficiency, and vision.
In 1921, racial violence destroyed much of the district in what is now called the Tulsa Race Massacre. Hundreds of lives were lost and millions in property vanished overnight.
Yet Greenwood’s story is not only one of destruction. Survivors rebuilt, and the memory of Black Wall Street lives on as a testament to what Black communities achieved even in the face of systemic racism.
Why it matters: Black Wall Street is both a cautionary tale and an inspiring vision of resilience.
