Beulah Land. Paradise. Shangri-la. Oklahoma seemed to be all of these in the hostile, racist, post-Civil War South. Seeking both refuge and respect, pioneers such as Edward P. McCabe championed the idea of Oklahoma as an all-Black state. And all-Black towns proliferated there. Some sixty all-Black towns, along with Tulsa's Greenwood District, bear witness to the deep creativity and incredible human spirit of the people who built them.

Acres of Aspiration: The All-Black Towns of Oklahoma

History

Johnson, Hannibal B.

Americas

Eakin Press

In the early 1900s, an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit brought national renown to Tulsa’s historic African American community, the Greenwood District. This “Negro Wall Street” bustled with commercial activity. In 1921, jealously, land lust, and racism swelled in sectors of white Tulsa, and white rioters seized upon what some derogated as “Little Africa,” leaving death and destruction in their wake. In an astounding resurrection, the community rose from the ashes of what was dubbed the Tulsa Race Riot with renewed vitality and splendor, peaking in the 1940s. In the succeeding decades, changed social and economic conditions sparked a prodigious downward spiral. Today’s Greenwood District bears little resemblance to the black business mecca of yore. Instead, it has become part of something larger: an anchor to a rejuvenated arts, entertainment, educational, and cultural hub abutting downtown Tulsa.

Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District (Images of America)

Humor & Entertainment

Arcadia Publishing

In the early 1900s, an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit brought national renown to Tulsa's historic African American community, the Greenwood District. This "Negro Wall Street" bustled with commercial activity. In 1921, jealously, land lust, and racism swelled in sectors of white Tulsa, and white rioters seized upon what some derogated as "Little Africa," leaving death and destruction in their wake. In an astounding resurrection, the community rose from the ashes of what was dubbed the Tulsa Race Riot with renewed vitality and splendor, peaking in the 1940s. In the succeeding decades, changed social and economic conditions sparked a prodigious downward spiral. Today's Greenwood District bears little resemblance to the black business mecca of yore. Instead, it has become part of something larger: an anchor to a rejuvenated arts, entertainment, educational, and cultural hub abutting downtown Tulsa.

Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

This story, set in 1920, revolves around Charles "Charlie" Jackson, a twelve-and-a-half-year-old from Boley, Oklahoma, one of America’s best-known all-black towns. Today Boley, once a thriving black mecca, is smaller and more subdued. Still, significant historical footprints line her streets and alleys.

No Place Like Home: A Story About an All-black, All American Town

Children's Books

Literature & Fiction

Eakin Pr

Early in the 20th century, the black community in Tulsa - the "Greenwood District" - became a nationally renowned entrepreneurial center. Frequently referred to as "The Black Wall Street of America," the Greenwood District attracted pioneers from all over America who sought new opportunities and fresh challenges. Legal segregation forced blacks to do business among themselves. The The Greenwood District prospered as dollars circulated within the black community. But fear and jealousy swelled in the greater Tulsa community. The alleged assault of a white woman by a black man triggered unprecedented civil unrest. The worst riot in American history, the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, destroyed people, property, hopes, and dreams. The Greenwood District burned to the ground, only to be rebuilt from the ashes, bigger and better than ever. By 1942, some 242 businesses call the Greenwood District home. Having experienced decline in the '60s - early '80s, the area is now poised for yet another renaissance.

Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District

Tells the story of the Greenwood community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, its destruction in the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, and its rebuilding.

Up from the Ashes

CLAY

Roberts, Melissa

Beulah Land. Paradise. Shangri-la. Oklahoma seemed to be all of these in the hostile, racist, post–Civil War South. Seeking both refuge and respect, pioneers such as Edward P. McCabe championed the idea of Oklahoma as an all-Black state. And all-Black towns proliferated there. Some sixty all-Black towns, along with Tulsa's Greenwood District, bear witness to the deep creativity and incredible human spirit of the people who built them.

Acres of Aspiration: The All Black Towns in Oklahoma

One of the ways that we may come to understand and appreciate diversity is to listen to the narratives others have to tell about their personal journeys. These tales shape our lives. IncogNegro recounts, poetically, familiar struggles with race and diversity. Listen. Listening breeds empathy, evokes compassion and moves us a step closer to walking the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes. Everything begins with that first step. Ultimately, like actors on the world stage, each of us has some role, however small, to play in fostering an accepting, inclusive and diverse community.

IncogNegro: Poetic Reflections on Race & Diversity in America

Poetry

Publishamerica Inc

No Place Like Home: A Story About An All-Black, All-American Town

Teen & Young Adult

Valuing diversity--exercising diversity leadership--means treating others with respect and dignity, ferreting out injustice, celebrating differences, and simultaneously seeking common ground. 
Acknowledge differences--celebrate them--but embrace the fundamental sameness we share as human beings. Differences aside, we share basic values, goals, and aspirations. Most importantly, we share a common humanity. Tapping into that common humanity requires wading out of the shallow waters of difference as division and plunging headfirst into the deep pools of diversity as dynamism. 
One of the ways that we may come to understand and appreciate diversity is to listen to the narratives others have to tell about their personal journeys, especially those related to differences, be they based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other the other major identity markers. These tales shape our lives. 
IncogNegro recounts, poetically, stories of race and diversity. Listen. Listening breeds empathy, evokes compassion, and moves us a step closer to walking the proverbial mile in someone else's shoes. Everything begins with that first step. Ultimately, like actors on the world stage, each of us has some role, however small, to play in fostering an inclusive community in which we all have the opportunity to thrive.

IncogNegro: Poetic Reflections of Race & Diversity in America

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Books by Johnson, Hannibal B.