“Greenwood was a real community in the old-fashioned way,” Randle says. “Everything you needed was within walking distance. The area embraced its diversity. Even though there were rich and poor, everyone went to the same schools, churches, parks, pools and rode the same public transit. It was a place with … Read More
The Victory of Greenwood Reveals More Complete History Before and After 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
The Victory of Greenwood, a new book by Carlos Moreno, invites readers to learn more about the full history of the Greenwood community, aka “Black Wall Street,” through the lives of some of its most prominent figures such as, John & Loula Williams, B.C. Franklin, and Rev. Ben H. Hill. … Read More
Victory of Greenwood: Otis G. Clark
Photograph of Otis Clark courtesy of M.J. Alexander In a sense, the life of Otis Clark is reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son. Squandering his education, he found success as a bootlegger before the age of 18. After the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, he made his way to Hollywood … Read More
Run it Back: #025: How They Rebuilt
Through a mixture of hubris and active malice, Tulsa city leaders undermined the rebuilding of Greenwood. Black people brought the neighborhood back anyway. The tents stretched across the burned-out prairieland for acres, surrounded by dirt and rubble and trees stripped bare of all their foliage. Where the Dreamland Theater had … Read More