The 6 miles between the old and new incarnations of Black Wall Street belie the dire connection that links them: Racial and socioeconomic inequality on Tulsa s north side has its roots in the 100-year-old atrocity of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
As part of the 100th anniversary commemoration, a variety of Greenwood Art Project installations, experiences and collaborations are debuting over the next few days, with more set to be unveiled well into the summer.
Black Wall Street Memorial March Set To Begin At Greenwood Cultural Center
The Black Wall Street Legacy Fest is kicking off its series of events to commemorate the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial with a Black Wall Street Memorial March through parts of Tulsa on Friday. This is the first of about 20 events happening over the next couple of days in the Greenwood District.
The march is scheduled to begin at the Greenwood Cultural Center at 10 a.m. Friday. The route and end destination are not something set in concrete, event organizers say it is a spirit-led march and they will walk wherever the head of the group feels led and for however long they feel led.
It s actually accomplishing what we always started out wanting to do, that this would not just be what some would refer to as a one-and-done, or a Kumbaya moment where OK, we sang, we held hands, now everybody go back home. This is a commemorative year . even into the fall with Tulsa Ballet doing a full production and bringing African American artists and dancers from New York and an African American choreographer for a full production about the history of Greenwood, said Phil Armstrong, project director for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission. This is the beginning. This is not just a time when we do this and never talk about it again. This is a launchpad: Every year we are going to look forward to commemorating and having some type of event that remembers and honors this history.