Tulsa's Black Wall Street: Massacre, Business and History - True Health 4ever EP-62
We visited Tulsa's Black Wall Street A.K.A Greenwood during the 100th year commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The Tulsa race massacre took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents, some of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and destroyed homes and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Alternatively known as the Tulsa race riot which is now known in history as Tulsa's Black Wall Street Massacre, the event is considered one of "the single worst incidents of racial violence in American history". As a part of the black community and the team that created the black wall street board game inspired by the historic event, we had to visit in person.
The Journey
We were already on our way to the airport not knowing what awaits us in Tulsa when one of the locals there reached out to us via phone call and told us that they want us to be there. This trip is really about learning history through a wider lens and being there in Tulsa along with the local community to fully immerse ourselves in the process and visit. We were out there to find our own mecca and for us Tulsa Oklahoma is one of our Meccas. It's a place that really identifies with our identity, culture, and our values.
Why Did You Go to Black Wall St?
We had our tour from Terry Baccus from the Greenwood chamber of commerce, we wanted to go to the direct source and that was the inspiration of Black Wall Street Board game. We wanted them to see that we built something for them and we want to establish a connection. Being inspired by Tulsa’s black wall street, right after I (De’Von) attended a retreat back in 2017 and realized that none of the middle to high school scholars knew much about the rich history of black wall street in Tulsa made me decide to come up with an idea of a black monopoly. But one that is not based on stereotypes typically inclined with the black community, I wanted to educate people about the real black wall street through a board game and thus black wall street is born.
We went to Tulsa with one goal to introduce the game that aims to help enhance the youth’s financial literacy and teach the rich history of Tulsa’s development in terms of black economics. The board game is a family friendly game board that helps parents’ bond with their kids along with the purpose of teaching them not only about black history but moreover about financial literacy, starting our kids early can help them mold into a better person in terms of the real-life financial game that we are all facing from day to day.
You Must Visit Tulsa or Your Mecca
It’s always nice to pay a visit to a community that shares the same fire as we do and so should you. Things will align perfectly if you’re committed enough to work for it, find the right community and exert your full potential every step of the way. Luck is really not a thing, it's just an opportunity and preparation. If you prepare well enough, eventually the right opportunities will open up for you.
Watch Our Trip Highlights
Highlights of the Trip:
- Tour from Terry Baccus from the greenwood chamber of commerce.
- Good food: the best way to learn any history or culture is through food (waffle that) a restaurant that we support.
- Meeting the local people born and raised in Greenwood or Tulsa.
- Opportunity meets preparation: we brought our game board for the unreleased Masterpiece Edition just in case and Mother Fletcher loved it along with other locals the game board took them by surprise.
Take Aways:
- Just keep doing the little things that you can do until you get there because we never really know where the ripples will lead us. It doesn’t always have to make sense but know when the time is right, know when to operate and know when it’s time to devour the opportunities that come your way.
- Always be ready, you’ll never know when opportunity comes your way.
- Seize every moment.
Tips
- Finding the right place to market and launch your products, seize every opportunity to bond and build familiarity with your potential market.
- Know your market
- Build a team that shares the same goal as you
- Divide and rule all throughout your goals along with the team that you are with.