On May 31, 1921, Tulsa’s Greenwood District, also referred to as Black Wall Street — a community where Black leaders and entrepreneurs and homeowners thrived, was destroyed by mobs in what has been called the single most horrific incident of racial terrorism since slavery. An estimated 300 people were killed, more than 1,200 homes destroyed, and at least 60 businesses and community buildings burned to the ground.
Over the past several years, Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood district—otherwise known as Black Wall Street—has garnered the necessary acclaim and attention it so worthily deserves. After the devastation caused by the 1921 race massacre, descendants of its victims and other dedicated Tulsans have worked diligently to not only pay proper homage to the tragedy but also shift focus toward the blossoming economic and cultural boom bursting from the city.
Photo by Seth Herald (AFP)
On Friday, September 29, OWN is releasing a six-part docuseries titled Rebuilding Black Wall Street. Throughout the course of the episodes, host and actor Morris Chestnut will visit the storied legacy of the area while hearing from community members who have been invested in its progress. Viewers will have an opportunity to witness raw and heartfelt accounts from Montika Collins, the founder of North Tulsa’s only natural birthing center; Rachel Walker and D’Marria Monday, two respective descendants of the victims of the 1921 race massacre; Rodney and Sheila Clark, who own a family farm that combats the food disparities in Tulsa; local rap group Fire in Little Africa and many more.
With the burgeoning of Tulsa’s own renaissance, many individuals and organizations are breathing new life into the city with projects that not only encompass the spirit of Greenwood, but also physically enhance it to the caliber it was once known and recognized for. In addition to the personal anecdotes about the life and history of Greenwood, designers Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon-Joe-Pin of Two Steps Home will uniquely detail renovation techniques and projects that have been executed in the area.
Rebuilding Black Wall Street is a joint effort between Warner Bros. Discovery, GroupM Motion Entertainment and Domino’s, a participant in GroupM’s Diverse Voices Accelerator, a positive impact initiative that supports creators, writers, producers and directors from traditionally underrepresented groups in entertainment.
The series is produced by Sunwise Media with Ri-Karlo Handy and Karra Duncan, a Tulsa Race Massacre descendent, serving as executive producers. Chestnut also serves as executive producer through his MC8 Productions, as well as Greenwood Creative Studios.
“100 years later the descendants of the Greenwood community are rebuilding a new legacy, and we’re here to help,” said Chestnut.
The docuseries premieres at 9PM ET/8PM CST on September 29, 2023 via the OWN Network.