In the early 20th century, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was famous for having one of the most prosperous African American communities in Greenwood, commonly known as Black Wall Street. The community was founded by O.W. Gurley, who moved to the area in 1906 (Huddleston, 2020). Gurley helped African American entrepreneurs to escape racist oppression of the Deep South by lending money they would be unable to receive anywhere else. Before 1921, the community was self-sufficient with stores, hotels, banks, hospitals, schools, and even movie theaters. The present paper provides a brief history of Black Wall Street, describing the natural resources of the area that supported the development and the ups and downs of the community.
Natural Resources
There were at least three resources available in the area that supported the development of the Black Wall Street community. First and foremost, there was enough available chip land that attracted entrepreneurs. Gurley bought a 40-acre plot in Tulsa, which he wanted to provide only to African Americans (Huddleston, 2020). Even though the land was abundant in the US in the early 1900s, it was not available for Black entrepreneurs (Fain, 2017). Thus, the availability of land was one of the central moving forces of the community. Second, the rise of the community was associated with an oil boom in Oklahoma.
The availability of oil in the area attracted thousands of African Americans from nearby states in search of financial prosperity (Huddleston, 2020). These people wanted to spend their money in places where they were welcomed, and Greenwood was one of such places (Huddleston, 2020). Third, there was enough water and food available in the area, which was vital for building a community. The Arkansas river nearby provided fresh water for drinking and technical purposes. The availability of water resources also made it possible to grow crops and cattle to provide food for the community. In summary, Tulsa had required natural resources to support the emergence the Black Wall Street.
Ups and Downs
After reviewing the history of the community, one can pinpoint four periods in the development of the community. First, was the period from the foundation of the community in 1906 until the Tulsa Massacre in 1921. During this period, the community was thriving, as African American entrepreneurs arrived from different parts of the country, investing their time, effort, and money in the development of the community. Fain (2017) noticed that, during this period, the state of Oklahoma had only two airports, and six families from the community owned a private plane. The second period was very short but had a tremendous impact on the community. In 1921, white residents of nearby communities became upset with the prosperity of Black Wall Street and burned down the majority of houses and facilities in the area, killing more than 300 citizens of Greenwood (Fain, 2017). For years after the massacre, African American women watched how whites wore their jewelry and expensive clothing (Fain, 2017).
The third period started shortly after the massacre and ended in the 1960s. During the period, the community started to rebuild their homes and businesses to recover from the incident. While many entrepreneurs regained some of their wealth, it was never the same (Huddleston, 2020). Gurley and Standford, the owner of the biggest hotel, reported to lose their fortune and left the area (Huddleston, 2020). The people in the area felt insecure and fled to other regions of the country (Huddleston, 2020). The movie theatre was rebuilt; however, it soon went out of business along with other companies in the area. The reason was that African Americans no longer had to spend money in Black communities only, as the oppression of minorities began to decline. The final period began in the 1960s when the majority of the area was razed to meet the needs of the city (Huddleston, 2020). In particular, large areas of the neighborhood was transformed into a highway (Huddleston, 2020). Today, the memory of Black Wall Street is preserved by memorials in the area.
Conclusion
Black Wall Street was a unique place that witnessed the horrors of racism and oppression of African Americans. Similar to the area where I grew up, it had all the resources to build a prosperous society. However, Greenwood had something more than just resources. It had the central idea behind it that helped the community to become one of the most financially advantageous in the US. It demonstrated how people could unite against oppression and live the American dream.
References
Fain, K. (2017). The devastation of Black Wall Street. JSTOR Daily. Web.
Huddleston, T. (2020). ‘Black Wall Street’: The history of the wealthy Black community and the massacre perpetrated there. CNBC Make It. Web.