Black Wall Street Legacy Commemorated in New Resource

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janessa Sambola-Harris, [email protected]

WASHINGTON —  The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and its sister organization, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, are launching a new educational resource and PSA commemorating the legacy of Greenwood, the historically Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma — often referred to as Black Wall Street — that was destroyed by white supremacist mobs over a series of days in 1921. Formally established in 1905, Greenwood was a bustling downtown district created by and for African Americans, where dozens of businesses and churches thrived, despite the rampant racism and Jim Crow laws that attempted to restrict Black progress in the years following Emancipation.  

“Economic oppression and violence against Black communities historically takes many forms, and the destruction of Greenwood was but one of many examples throughout our history. We continue to see the  consequences of that violence today through the Black wealth gap,” said Becky Monroe, senior director of the Fighting Hate & Bias program at The Leadership Conference and The Education Fund. “By lifting up the critical work of people in Tulsa, including survivors, who for generations have been demanding justice for the 1921 Massacre, we will push for truth and healing, and direct payments to the survivors and descendants of this tragic crime. Much more must be done to educate the public about the ongoing economic inequality faced by Black people who have endured racist economic violence across the country and how reparations will rectify this historic injustice.”

The new resources also amplify the urgent need for the passage of H.R. 40, The Commission to Study Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

The Leadership Conference Education Fund builds public will for federal policies that promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. The Education Fund’s campaigns empower and mobilize advocates around the country to push for progressive change in the United States. It was founded in 1969 as the education and research arm of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. For more information on The Education Fund, visit www.civilrights.org/edfund/. 

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