Over the past several years, Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood district—otherwise known as Black Wall Street—has garnered the necessary acclaim and attention it so worthily deserves. After the devastation caused by the 1921 race massacre, descendants of its victims and other dedicated Tulsans have worked diligently to not only pay proper homage to the tragedy but also shift focus toward the blossoming economic and cultural boom bursting from the city.
On Friday, September 29, OWN is releasing a six-part docu-series titled Rebuilding Black Wall Street. Throughout the course of the episodes, host and actor Morris Chestnut will visit the storied legacy of the area while hearing from community members who have been invested in its progress. Viewers will have an opportunity to witness raw and heartfelt accounts from Montika Collins, the founder of North Tulsa’s only natural birthing center; Rachel Walker and D’Marria Monday, two respective descendants of the victims of the 1921 race massacre; Rodney and Sheila Clark, who own a family farm that combats the food disparities in Tulsa; local rap group Fire in Little Africa and many more.
With the burgeoning of Tulsa’s own renaissance, many individuals and organizations are breathing new life into the city with projects that not only encompass the spirit of Greenwood, but also physically enhance it to the caliber it was once known and recognized for. In addition to the personal anecdotes about the life and history of Greenwood, designers Jon Pierre and Mary Tjon-Joe-Pin of Two Steps Home will uniquely detail renovation techniques and projects that have been executed in the area.
“100 years later the descendants of the Greenwood community are rebuilding a new legacy, and we’re here to help,” said Chestnut.
Image: courtesy of OWN.
The docuseries premieres at 9PM ET/8PM CST on September 29, 2023 via the OWN Network.
