REMEMBERING Black Wall Street

By Dr. J. Ester Davis

In a few weeks Tulsa, Oklahoma and the rest of the universe will celebrate the Tulsa Massacre Centennial:  1921 – 2021.  In June, 1921, an eighteen(18)hour  violent riot, broke out destroying Tulsa’s Greenwood District , which was referred to as Black Wall Street by “White” Wall Street.  It was the center of prosperity, with black owned business lining both sides of the streets, banks, hotels and newspapers.  Former State Senator Maxine Horner, a longtime advocate of the Tulsa Race Massacre created  a commission to study the attack on the city’s black community by a white mob.

The Tulsa Massacre is well documented.   Many, many stories, books, documentaries  and now a ‘movie’, have surfaced about this time and the Black Wall Street era.  But as a Texan, I married into “the Tulsa family”.  For all holidays, other important dates, when not with my family in South Texas, we were in Tulsa, Oklahoma or Los Angeles with my husband’s family.  When the centennial planning started last year, I decided to call the ‘best friend families” we were close to. I remember vividly Ralph “Waldo” McIntosh, one of two black Tulsa Police Officers  who worked tirelessly on the Greenwood District Memorial  Museum after his law enforcement days.  “Waldo” was married to Henrietta, a stunning socialite. “Waldo” was the Greenwood Chamber President at one time and made monumental  policy progress for the Greenwood District including an invited trip to the White House. After two phone calls this week,  I was delighted to talk with  Henrietta, who is now 99 years old and entirely doing well.  She is in the process of donating all of “Waldo’s” memorabilia to the museum.

In the early ’70, my husband kept our sons and the other young nieces/nephews/cousins captivated with his stories about Tulsa after his return from the Korean War. He was the daily driver for a Mr. Phillips of Standard Oil & Gas before moving on to Dallas in the 60’s,   At the turn of the century there were reportedly 800 oil companies in Tulsa.  A `1901 historic drilling boom soon made Tulsa the “oil capital of the world”.  The affluence of Tulsa afforded African Americans many luxury conveniences.  The black –owned hotels were filled with young bachelors who worked for the oil tycoons.  Many were chauffeurs  who were kept busy driving  to Neiman Marcus in Dallas, dropping their children off to college and tending to the elderly wealthy.   The riot of 1921 was all racial motivated and the natives still contend  that Oklahoma attempted to erase this chapter of Tulsa’s dark history . . . and that sounds about normal, but thanks to unsung warriors like “Waldo”, his bride Henrietta, Senator Horner, a black female and many, many others it is a historic beacon of determined significance and a quest for wholeness.

Please join the descendants of Black Wall Street and beyond in remembrance ceremonies.

Website:  Tulsa2021.org.  Like on Facebook.