Building Back Black Wall Street

Black Wall Street, or the historically Black neighborhood Greenwood, Oklahoma is the site of once a prosperous, thriving, Black community. It is also the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a violent attack waged by white supremacists, killing hundreds of residents and leveling homes and businesses.

 
In the second episode of our three part Black History Month series, we talk about how the community built back. In fact, Greenwood’s economic heyday came 20 years later, in the 1940s. Then came the 1950s-60s, when Urban Renewal projects gave the city of Tulsa federal funds to buy out Black land owners. This loss of ownership undercut Greenwood’s very existence. Now Greenwood Okies, pulling from their history, are building Tulsa’s future, despite continued discrimination.

Learn more about the story and find the transcript on radioproject.org.

Making Contact is an award-winning, nationally syndicated radio show and podcast featuring narrative storytelling and thought-provoking interviews. We cover the most urgent issues of our time and the people on the ground building a more just world. 

EPISODE FEATURES: 

-Bracken Klar - Co-Executive Producer of Focus: Black Oklahoma, Vice-President of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective

-Carlos Moreno - member of Tulsa's Tri-City Collective, journalist and author of The Victory of Greenwood and A Kid's Book About the Tulsa Race Massacre

-Trey Thaxton - CEO and Founder of Goldmill Co. and Greenwood Ave. 

MAKING CONTACT: This episode is hosted by Amy Gastelum. It is produced by Anita Johnson, Lucy Kang, Salima Hamirani, and Amy Gastelum. Our executive director is Jina Chung. 

MUSIC: This episode includes music by Blue Dot Sessions, including “Krotoa Haze,” “Cheldana Outpost,” “Krotoa Hills” and “April in Paris” by Count Basie and His Orchestra. 

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