My friend, Tasha Clopton-Stubbs, wrote an article, “Tulsa Race Riot Victims Seek Justice ‘Before They Die'” for a local newspaper. For those that don’t know, an entire neighborhood was burned down because of “perceived” racial issues.
Known as The Black Wall Street, the affluent black neighborhood of Greenwood was completely burned down, during a racial conflict in 1921. This community had everything it needed within the community, so there was no reason for the residents to leave for anything. Because of racial ignorance, it ceases to exist today.
These are my thoughts on this story. These black folk were doing what they needed to do make lives for themselves; therefore, they created their own community and made things happen. The white folk on the outside looking in did not like the fact that these black folk could live so prosperously. So what did they do? They burned down the entire community .
So, this is yet another double standard in America. In those days, some of the white people didn’t want to help black people get a hand up but they didn’t want them to have anything either.
And what’s really bad about this is that it this is not widely shared like it should be. So, thanks to Tasha and The Chicago Chapter of the Black Wall Street District (BWSD) for enlightening us.
Is this happening today in this “recession?” What are your thoughts?