Resurrecting Black Wall Street- Movie Spotlight
The reports of police brutality against Black Americans have made listening to the news and going on social media depressing. It is so negative and I feel so powerless. These types of incidences have been going on for so long it seems like it would never change. I felt a surge of optimism after seeing Resurrecting Black Wall Street-The Blueprint on Black Movie Night, an event facilitated by Dr. Boyce Watkins who was also an executive producer for the film. The director of the film, Dorain Chandler, has won numerous accolades including. The Women Making Movies Award.
FILM SYNOPSIS
In this documentary film, historical events are discussed by Black scholars who provide lessons learned on how to create a new Black Wall Street. Black people living in Oklahoma during the 1900s had their own everything and were able to be totally self-supporting. The facts in this film blew my mind and I didn’t know them before. There were 600 Black-owned businesses in this town. This included 30 grocery stores, 21 churches, schools, newspapers, banks, one hospital, two movie theaters, apartment buildings, hotels, pharmacies, and a transportation bus system. There were also six Black-owned private planes.
Greenwood had 15,000 residents and everything they needed was in town. As a result of this, the dollar circulated 36 times and took a year to leave the community. Black people who lived in surrounding towns loved doing business there. Thursday nights were called “maids night” because domestic workers had that day off and they spent money in the town. There was so much money in Greenwood that whites borrowed from Black-owned banks.
One of the most outstanding facts in this movie is that this bus system created by Dr. Simon Berry made $500 a day. That would be about $17,000 today. He sold his company to the city not realizing that their leaders would discriminate against Black people.
There were many notable and professional people in town. Black lawyers, doctors, and business owners made up a prosperous middle class. Other notable people were business savvy couple John and Lola Williams, O.W. Gurley, who owned an auto repair building,
Greenwood got its start because land and money was made available to Black Americans. When slavery was legally abolished in 1865 Black people were persecuted by white groups such as the Klu Klux Klan. Their reign of terror resulted in killing, mainly by lynching, which is reminiscent of what is going on today, took the lives of countless Black people.
Tulsa Race Massacre- May 31-June 1, 1921
Ninety-nine years ago today the looting and burning started. Whites came into Greenwood to avenge the honor of a white woman who was reported to be attacked in an elevator by a Black man. The scholars in the film describe the incident as the man tripping while walking into the elevator and falling into a white woman. The white media described it as an assault.
The man in question was arrested but that did not satisfy the need of the surrounding white society who used this incident to destroy the town. They went into people’s homes murdering and destroying. The exact numbers are hard to tie down but after 18 hours of rioting hundreds of people were dead and there was widespread destruction of homes and businesses.
Rebuilding Black Wall Street
The survivors tried to rebuild but faced huge obstacles. Insurance companies would not cover their losses, the governments did not provide funds, and white business ownersrefused to sell them materials and some Black people wanted integration.
Who is Dr. Boyce Watkins?
Dr. Watkins started the Watkins Media Group in 2011. One of his goals is to produce films to enlighten African-Americans about their history. He has made appearances on NBC, CNN, and other national media outlets. He has a Ph.D in finance from Ohio State.
Lessons Learned
Resurrecting Black Wall Street: The Blueprint is an eye-opening documentary film with real-life examples of what Black people can do with collective economics. I would highly recommend people see it. Resurrecting Black Wall Street is available on Vimeo for $14.99. You can purchase the film from The Black Financial Literacy Store website for $19.99.
Candace Waller is a Christian fiction author. Her novel, What Goes Around Comes Around can be purchased on Amazon.
One Reply to “Resurrecting Black Wall Street- Movie Spotlight”
Very informative read. I wish that Black Wall Street can make a comeback, we as a community need it more than ever. Thank you.