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On the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre on June 1, Tyrance Billingsley II decided to launch an organization to aid Black entrepreneurs living in the area once known as Black Wall Street . The native Black Tulsan entrepreneur teamed up with SecondMuse to launch Black Tech Street , a national initiative and tech hub on a mission to mobilize resources and companies to build a community for Black-owned technology companies. “I am a born and raised Tulsa entrepreneur, ecosystem builder and community leader. I excel in visioning and convening people to work together toward building collective progress,” Billingsley told AfroTech. “I am passionate about the tech industry and envisioning ways we can use technology to enhance quality of life.” SecondMuse has a decade of experience incubating entrepreneurial ecosystems to create equitable economies. With 13 global offices, the global innovation company will be lending personnel and resources to Billingsley to execute Black Tech Street’s...
The hype surrounding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and smart contracts presents Black Tech Street the perfect opportunity to unveil their latest campaign. The national initiative — which launched on the Tulsa Race Massacre anniversary last month — is now launching the first-ever regenerative fundraising campaign to build a brand new tech hub for Black entrepreneurs in Tulsa, OK, a press release reports. As part of its commitment to facilitate a $1 billion investment in the Black Tulsa Economy, Black Tech Street hopes this campaign will inspire social impact giving from today’s most impactful innovators and investors. “We are minting a one-of-a-kind Centennial Coin NFT to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Greenwood Massacre and to raise funds to secure the next 100 years of innovation and success for Black entrepreneurs,” Black Tech Street founder Tyrance Billingsley II said in a statement. In partnership with SecondMuse and Blockchange, the new tech hub will represent what was...
On the centennial anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre — one of the most disgraceful events in American history (though, really, given the tomfoolery of white America, how can you narrow it down?) — the question begs itself: how far along would Black men and women be in American society as a whole if history’s most violent massacre of Black men and women on June 1, 1921, hadn’t happened? While Randolph “Randy” Wiggins, venture partner and managing director of Build in Tulsa, doesn’t necessarily want to think about what could have been, he does want people to focus on their future while remembering the past. And, he also thinks that the reconstruction of the Black community in the wake of the Tulsa Race Massacre is a testament to the resilience of a collective — and something that should be used to propel progress forward. “It’s always amazed me,” he told AfroTech. “I think about the history of Black Wall Street — I think about all the tragedy and trauma that they faced, and how...
It’s been 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre reshaped the world as we know it. What once was known as The Black Wall Street, the Greenwood District was singlehandedly destroyed at the hands of white rage and today (June 1), OWN is keeping its legacy alive through “The Legacy of Black Wall Street.” The new two-part special OWN Spotlight event will track the rise of Black Wall Street in Oklahoma’s Greenwood District up until it was destroyed through the tragic 1921 Tulsa race massacre. Angela Davis / Photo Courtesy of OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network “We’re proud to tell this powerful story and commemorate the triumphant survivors who worked to rebuild and reclaim Black Wall Street,” said Tina Perry, President, OWN in an official news release. “This is a significant moment in our history that will not be forgotten. We will continue to amplify Black excellence and resilience on OWN as we make strides on the road to healing.” Healing that present-day activist and Tulsa native, Jerica...
Tulsa, OK native Darnell Washington — who has over 30 years of experience in television broadcasting sales, management, and ownership — has launched a new streaming service called the Black Wall Street TV Network inspired by his hometown’s historical breeding ground for successful Black entrepreneurs, Black Business reports. “We are a special TV viewing experience growing into the future,” according to the network’s website. “Rising from the ashes of the 1921 Black Wall Street Massacre, this TV Network thrives on the success that Tulsa’s Black Wall Street of 2021 now encompasses.” Black Wall Street is known to be one of the most prosperous Black communities in the early 1900s and is famously associated with flourishing Black-owned businesses. Since the Tulsa Race Massacre, the town has since rebuilt itself to once again be a vibrant and economically-stable area that’s moving toward a brighter future. Washington’s BWS-TV Network — free to anyone with an internet connection — now aims...
In the weeks leading up to Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the president received backlash for wanting to host his first rally of the year on Juneteenth in the city that was once home to Black Wall Street. He pushed the rally to June 20th, but that was not good enough for those who did not want the streets of Tulsa overthrown by his racist followers. On June 15, Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce that nearly one million MAGA supporters would be attending his campaign rally in downtown Tulsa. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1272521253136498690?s=20 “Almost One Million people request tickets for the Saturday Night Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” he tweeted. At every turn, he made it a point to brag about the huge attendance at his upcoming rally. Compilation of people bragging about a million people signing up for the rally pic.twitter.com/X9EHPSvv8Z — Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2020 In anticipation of such a large turnout, the BOK Center, which only has a...
Seasoned industry veteran Dream Hampton — the executive producer behind Lifetime’s Emmy-nominated “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary series — has been tapped to work on a new project to highlight the infamous events of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. Dream Hampton, executive producer of #SurvivingRKelly , will direct 'Black Wall Street,' a documentary series about the Tulsa Race Massacre, a deadly act of racial violence committed 99 years ago https://t.co/KO12nlGiCI — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 1, 2020 According to Variety , Hampton will executively produce and direct the Cineflix Productions documentary series to document one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history. Under the working title “Black Wall Street,” the limited series will weave together past and present events attributed to the 1921 Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which left hundreds of Black people dead, thousands displaced, and the city on fire. “Black people from Tulsa have refused to let the...
The excellence of Black Wall Street is often overshadowed by the story of The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 , which lead to the city’s demise. A once flourishing and self-sustained Black community was destroyed by a racist mob that left hundreds of Black citizens dead, and many Black-owned businesses reduced to ashes. However, in the spirit of renewing and celebrating the community’s rich history, The Greenwood Chamber of Commerce has received a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service to renovate the historic city, according to Tulsa World. Although the grant will be used to replace roofs and remodel the exterior of ten buildings in the Greenwood Centre, chamber president, Freeman Culver, hopes the grant will ignite the nostalgic spirit of Black excellence within Tulsa. “We hope that it’s obvious we’re committed to preserving the history our ancestors left us,” Culver told Tulsa World . The most recent renovation of the buildings took place in the 1980s after the block was...
The city of Tulsa will receive $1 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies to fund an art project commemorating the legacy of Greenwood, or Black Wallstreet as it has been commonly called. The Greenwood Art Project—named after the historic Black Wall Street neighborhood—will address civic issues and aims to deepen the understanding of the community’s story of triumph. A team led by internationally renowned artist Rick Lowe will create eight art installations throughout the Greenwood District. “Through the Greenwood Art Project in time for the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, we have the opportunity to establish a future of prosperity, reconciliation, and unity – a narrative that every city in America stands to learn from,” said Lowe . “I am committed to this project because of everything that it stands for.” In the early 1900s, Greenwood was known for its vibrant and thriving Black middle class. In 1921, a white mob destroyed and set fire to hundreds of Black-owned...
Detroit, MI, native Eminem is joining a list of individuals, such as former NBA players Grant Hill and Chris Webber, to bring a WNBA team to the city, according to Sportico. The 15-time Grammy Award-winning rapper — born Marshall Mathers — is part of a group led by Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons. “This is an exciting opportunity to welcome the WNBA back to Detroit and bring additional investment and economic activity into the city,” Gores said previously, per AFROTECH™. “For the WNBA, this is home, and our bid represents an unprecedented opportunity for the league to come full circle and effect a long-hoped-for Detroit homecoming. No city is more prepared to embrace the team as a community asset that drives unity and common ground.” According to Sportico, the franchise would play at Little Caesars Arena, which cost $863 million to build and is home to the Pistons and Red Wings. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Michigan’s largest city had a WNBA team called the Detroit Shock from...
Former NBA players Grant Hill and Chris Webber are looking to bring a WNBA team back to the city where they once played. According to a press release, an ownership group led by Pistons owner Tom Gores has formed and placed a bid to bring the league to Detroit, MI. The state previously had a team between 1998 to 2009, named The Detroit Shock, which had been quite successful, CNBC reports. In fact, the team won three WNBA Championships. However, the franchise no longer represents the city after first moving to Tulsa, OK, and then to Arlington, TX, where it has played as the Dallas Wings since 2015. Now, a group that includes Hill and Webber is hoping to reignite momentum for the city to regain a WNBA team. This marks a full-circle moment for both Hill and Webber as they both played for the Detroit Pistons at different times during their professional careers. “This is an exciting opportunity to welcome the WNBA back to Detroit and bring additional investment and economic activity into...
Serial investor Tré Baker says relationships are the secret weapon for Black investors to scale and produce greater impact. Baker is an investor in nearly 160 startups, including Groundfloor Finance and TribeVest. Reflecting on the venture capitalist space, he admits he wants to see a systemic shift in the investment landscape, particularly concerning Black venture capitalists (VCs). This desire for change also prompted his exit from Techstars Accelerator in November 2024 after nearly three years with the organization, serving as Managing Director. “I’m no longer the managing director of Techstars Tulsa. And part of the reasons that platform is not operating at a systemic enough level, it wasn’t big enough,” he explained during an episode on the “Black Tech Green Money,” hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucus. Baker believes Black VCs can operate more effectively, suggesting they move away from the idea of “meritocracy,” which prioritizes talent over wealth or status. In...