A white mob burned down Tulsa's booming 'Black Wall Street' 99 years ago. Meet the young entrepreneurs rebuilding it despite coronavirus — and Trump's impending visit.
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This article was originally published on June 19. On a spring day in March 2020, Black artists from Oklahoma gathered in a historic mansion in Tulsa to record a hip-hop album and documentary. Stevie Johnson, aka Dr. View, is the producer for the project, called the "Fire in Little Africa." As he mixes and masters the recordings, the Black Lives Matter movement has reached a fever pitch in America, organizing in dozens of cities to protest the crisis of racism and police brutality.
AI Summary
Main Idea: Onikah Asamoa-Caesar and other Black entrepreneurs in Tulsa are rebuilding business and culture in the Greenwood district, while facing the legacy of the 1921 massacre and the pressure of the pandemic and Trump’s planned visit.
Key Points:
- Fulton Street Books, run by Onikah Asamoa-Caesar, gives the community a bookstore and café with books by authors of color and programs aimed at allyship and learning.
- Asamoa-Caesar raised startup money through loans, personal funds, and crowdfunding, showing how Black founders often have to use mixed funding sources.
- Ricco Wright’s Black Wall Street Gallery works to preserve Black history and promote equity, and the pandemic pushed him to expand online and launch new projects.
- Venita Cooper’s Silhouette Sneakers and Art combines a sneaker shop with an art gallery, but the pandemic cut sales and forced her business to rely on relief aid and online sales.
Impact on the People
Negative Impact
Trump’s Tulsa rally tied to Juneteenth and Black Wall Street can deepen anger over racial trauma and may distract from local recovery efforts.
Positive Impact
Tulsa’s Black-owned shops and galleries show how local spending, jobs, and community support can help rebuild businesses and preserve Black history.
How did each entity affect people?
Rate how each entity in this article affected the American people.
- Major:Fulton Street Bookscompany
- Major:Onikah Asamoa-Caesarperson
Candidate Entities5 candidates · 5 weighted vote min · 70% decision
- Fulton Street BookscompanyMajorEvaluated
The bookstore and café is one of the main businesses highlighted as part of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Onikah Asamoa-CaesarpersonMajorEvaluated
She is a featured entrepreneur whose bookstore and community space exemplify the article’s focus on rebuilding Black Wall.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - President Donald TrumppersonMajorAI selected
His campaign’s planned Tulsa rally on Juneteenth is a central trigger for the article’s discussion of history, symbolism.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Bob Dylan Centercultural institutionMinorCandidate
Mentioned because Stevie Johnson works as director of education there, giving institutional context.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Woody Guthrie Centercultural institutionMinorCandidate
Mentioned alongside the Bob Dylan Center as one of Johnson’s affiliated institutions.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold
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