News

Who Is O.W. Gurley? The Man Who Envisioned And Built Black Wall Street

At the turn of the 20th century, Ottawa W. Gurley, a prominent African-American landowner from Arkansas, embarked on a journey that would shape the landscape of opportunity for Black Americans. Known as O.W. Gurley, this visionary entrepreneur was pivotal in establishing Black Wall Street in  Tulsa, Oklahoma, a flourishing hub of Black-owned businesses and prosperity amidst racial segregation and discrimination. That was until the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, when, over two days of white supremacist terrorist massacre 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁ed around 26 Black residents and leveled the community.

Gurley’s journey began with a bold move to participate in the Oklahoma Land Run of 1889, shortly after resigning from a presidential appointment under President Grover Cleveland. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to Tulsa in 1906, where he acquired 40 acres of land designated exclusively for Black ownership—a groundbreaking feat in a time when racial segregation was deeply entrenched.

The Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 was the first land run into the Unassigned Lands of former Indian Territory, which had earlier been assigned to the Creek and Seminole peoples. A land run or land rush is when previously restricted land of the U.S. was opened to homestead on a first-arrival basis.

Gurley used his lad to form the Greenwood district, as it came to be known. It emerged as a beacon of economic empowerment for Black Americans.

“You had the wealthy, middle class, the poor Blacks all living on the same block, and so many of those individuals who started out in the working class, because they lived there, would eventually go on to own their own business in the Greenwood District. That’s a result of Gurley’s contributions,” Dr. Michael Carter, Sr., founder and national president of the Black Wall Street USA national movement, said to told Inc. Magazine.

Gurley owned and operated numerous businesses, including a rooming house that provided refuge for Black migrants fleeing oppression in the South. Gurley also played a pivotal role in founding the Vernon African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a cornerstone of the Greenwood community. He lost all of it during the Tulsa Massacre, in total, according to court records, e lost nearly $200,000, according to Black Wall Street.

He ultimately left Tulsa. Gurley died from arteriosclerosis and a cerebral hemorrhage, in Los Angeles, on Aug. 6, 1935, at the age of 67.

Related Posts

Warum du nie vom jüngsten Sohn der Queen gehört hast…

**Warum du nie vom jüngsten Sohn der Queen gehört hast…** Inmitten der schillernden Schlagzeilen über König Charles, Prinz Harry und Meghan bleibt ein Royal weitgehend im Schatten: Prinz…

VOR 1 STUNDE: Schockierende Neuigkeiten über Bernhard Brink – Seine Frau bricht das Schweigen über den tragischen Verlust!

**VOR 1 STUNDE: Große Trauer für Bernhard Brink – Seine Frau bestätigte die traurige Nachricht** In einem bewegenden und herzzerreißenden Moment hat Ute Brink heute die tragische Nachricht…

Keto-Diät: Abnehmwunder oder Gesundheitsrisiko? (Arzt erklärt)

**Keto-Diät: Abnehmwunder oder Gesundheitsrisiko?** Eine aktuelle Diskussion über die ketogene Ernährung entfacht hitzige Debatten über ihre Vorzüge und Risiken. Während Befürworter von einem Abnehmwunder sprechen, warnen Experten vor…

Die Wahrheit hinter der Ehe von Prinzessin Victoria von Schweden

**Breaking News: Die Wahrheit hinter der Ehe von Prinzessin Victoria von Schweden Enthüllt!** In einer schockierenden Enthüllung wird das Leben von Prinzessin Victoria von Schweden, einer der beliebtesten…

Richard Lugner’s Heartbreaking Farewell: His Wife Reveals a Shocking Secret About His Final Resting Place!

**Breaking News: Beerdigung von Richard Lugner – Emotionale Enthüllung seiner letzten Ruhestätte** Wien ist in Trauer: Richard Lugner, der legendäre österreichische Geschäftsmann, wurde am 31. August 2024 in…

Shiloh Jolie-Pitt: Schockierende Entscheidung an ihrem 18. Geburtstag!

**Schockierende Entscheidung an ihrem 18. Geburtstag: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt legt den Namen ihres Vaters ab!** Die Nachricht schlug ein wie eine Bombe: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, das erste gemeinsame Kind von…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *