May 26, 2021
From a virtual travel experience to a documentary night in, how to experience the history of Black Wall Street.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, a dark event in our nation’s history that resulted in the devastation of one of the wealthiest Black community in the United States at the time. While we remember and condemn the violence, we also celebrate the Greenwood historic district, “Black Wall Street.” Greenwood was a thriving area where Black entrepreneurs launched profitable businesses for the community.
Read more to discover how an interactive app can transport you to the Greenwood district and where to find commemorative content using Contour.
Virtually Visit the Greenwood District
Greenwood Rising XR Walking Tour App
Cox has supported the creation of an interactive, narrated app that demonstrates the impact of the tragedy then and the resilience seen in person today. Using the app, you can navigate the historic Greenwood district and visit various landmark sites on the tour. For anyone able to visit the district in person, you can use augmented reality to see what each landmark looked like before and after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. While all the features are only available inside the Greenwood district, anyone can virtually travel to the district from anywhere in the world by downloading and exploring the Greenwood District from their smartphone. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Explore More on Contour
Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre on History Channel
Executive produced by NBA superstar and philanthropist Russell Westbrook, and directed by Peabody and Emmy-Award® winning director Stanley Nelson (“Freedom Riders”) and Peabody and duPont-Award winner Marco Williams (“Two Towns of Jasper”), this documentary commemorates the 100th anniversary of the horrific Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history, and calls attention to the previously ignored but necessary repair of a town once devastated. “Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre” takes an in-depth, sobering look at the tragic events of a century ago and focuses on a specific period, from the birth of Black Wall Street, to its catastrophic downfall over the course of two bloody days, and finally the fallout and reconstruction. The documentary also follows the city’s current-day grave excavation efforts at Oaklawn Cemetery where numerous unmarked coffins of victims who were killed and buried during the massacre have been recovered. It will also feature rare archival footage and imagery from the time, coupled with commentary and interviews from numerous historians, city leaders, and activists, including the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum, the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission and the Historic Vernon A.M.E. Church, among other. Watch the trailer here.
Spirit of Greenwood on Cox YurView
A century ago, the city of Tulsa changed forever when the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre broke out and a white mob attacked residents, businesses in homes in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood district killing hundreds. One hundred years later, the spirit of Black Wall Street is alive and well in Greenwood and the community is rising up and reviving. In the Spirit of Greenwood, local business owners, artists and community leaders talk about the hope and extraordinary spirit that is bringing the Greenwood District back to life and gaining worldwide attention.
Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street on CNN
Celebrates the Black cultural renaissance that existed in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, OK, and investigates the 1921 Tulsa race riot massacre that left an indelible, though hidden stain on American history. It was directed produced by Salima Koroma and executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Philip Byron for The SpringHill Company, and Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton for CNN Films. Click here for a preview.
