From 1889 to 1907, there was a land rush in the state of Oklahoma. A land rush was when the government gave land to those that arrived first. Many African-Americans, some with Native American ancestors, made their way to Oklahoma hoping to build a community of their own.
This area in Tulsa, Oklahoma was called Greenwood by 1906. In 1921, it was home to 10,000 African-American people. Greenwood, Tulsa was also known as ”Black Wall Street” because it was one of the most successful majority African-American areas in the United States. On Black Wall Street, there were African-American lawyers, real-estate agents, dentists, entrepreneurs, and doctors that offered their services. Almost all of its businesses were owned by African-American people. The neighborhood was worth millions in today’s dollars.
