In 1889, there was a land rush in Oklahoma. This means that the United States government was giving away land to whoever got there first. A wealthy black man named O.W. Gurley bought 40 acres of land to make sure Black people had an area for themselves because they were tired of being denied services in other neighborhoods. Can you believe that it was against the law for black people to shop at white businesses? This led to the creation of Greenwood, also known as Black Wall Street, by 1906. Black Wall Street was in the Greenwood area of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This was a thriving community of 108 Black owned businesses, including doctors, bankers, entrepreneurs, architects, entertainers, lawyers, and real estate agents. Black Wall Street was amazing. It had its own bus system. During this time, the entire state of Oklahoma only had 2 airports while on Black Wall Street, 6 black families owned their own airplanes. Many important people such as Mary Mcleod Bethune (educator, civil rights leader), George Washington Carver (agricultural scientist and inventor), and W.E.B. DuBois (1st Black American to earn a PhD from Harvard) visited Black Wall Street.
It is said that a dollar circulated 36 times in this community and remained there for as long as a year. This means that when a dollar was spent, it stayed between the businesses and services in that community for about a year. This allowed businesses to thrive and helped the neighborhood be successful.
So, what happened to Black Wall Street? This neighborhood was not far from predominantly white communities that remained unwelcoming to black people. In 1921, an angry mob of about 1,000 people from surrounding communities, attacked residents and businesses on Black Wall Street. They burned 35 city blocks and at least 300 black residents were killed and 800 injured. Thousands of Black Americans lost their businesses and were left homeless. Basically, the entire neighborhood was burned to the ground. This event is known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. Before the massacre, the Black Wall Street neighborhood was worth millions of dollars.
Vocabulary to review
land rush, riot, thriving, circulation, denied
Comprehension questions and conversation starters for you and your young reader:
What was Black Wall Street?
Where was Black Wall Street?
What influenced the creation of Black Wall Street?
What was Black Wall Street also known as?
What happened to Black Wall Street?
Why was Black Wall Street important?
If you could open any business, what would it be? What product or service would you offer?
What materials do you need to start? Who do you need help from to be successful?
If you’d like, draw a picture of your business, include answers to the questions above and send it to mackidhershey@macaronikid.com. I’ll be showcasing all the wonderful and amazing business ideas that our kids create on the Macaroni Kid Hershey Facebook page. You never know who might be inspired!
**Interested in learning more about Black Wall Street and love Minecraft? Visit MINECRAFT education edition for their game and lesson on Black Wall Street.
** The Greenwood Cultural Center offers a family learning series on Black Wall Street as a resource for families wishing to learn together.
