On February 26th, I went on a field trip to the Kravis Center where Alicia Odewale gave an amazing presentation on Black Wall Street and its impact on the Black community.

Black Wall Street is a term that refers to a prosperous African-American community that emerged in Greenwood, Tulsa in the 1900s. However, this community is most known for the racial massacre that took place in May of 1921. To this day, many are still in the dark about what occurred in this community, with many not knowing the full extent of the crimes that took place.

The situation that started this all was when a black man was accused of assaulting a white woman in an elevator.  It is now believed that he tripped and fell, causing the woman to scream. However, at the time many white supremacists assumed that it was assault. This enraged white supremacist, who began to incite mobs that destroyed and killed many people and businesses in the community.

Don Ross, a member of the Oklahoma state legislature, played a large part in bringing awareness to this tragic event. He was first told in school about it by a teacher, but refused to believe it until he saw proof. After finding various images and accounts validating the story, he realized that the events that took place were worse than he ever thought. Years later, as an adult in a position of power, he played an active role in educating the community about what happened, eventually leading to the creation of a commission to investigate the massacre. The massacre lasted 2 days. Black neighborhoods and businesses in Tulsa were destroyed, burned, and looted. Many were even killed even in front of their children. Although they eventually rebuilt over a decade later, the impact this had on the growth of the community is a clear example of why it is important to study and know history, as it plays an important part in the growth of society.