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

VOR 15 MINUTEN: Uschi Glas in großer Trauer – Ihr Sohn bricht in Tränen aus, als er die herzzerreißende Nachricht bestätigt!

VOR 15 MINUTEN: Große Trauer für Uschi Glas – Ihr Sohn bestätigte die traurige Nachricht und weinte. In einem herzzerreißenden Moment hat Ben Teweg, der Sohn der legendären…

Superfood Datteln: Das passiert, wenn Sie anfangen, täglich Datteln zu essen!

**Breaking News: Superfood Datteln – Der süße Retter für Ihre Gesundheit!** In einer Welt, die zunehmend von Zuckerabhängigkeit geplagt ist, rückt die Dattel als revolutionäres Superfood in den…

Camilla ist SPRACHLOS: Prinz William und ihr Sohn streiten noch IMMER

**Camilla ist SPRACHLOS: Prinz William und ihr Sohn streiten noch IMMER** Ein dramatischer Streit zwischen Prinz William und seiner Stiefmutter, Königin Camilla, hat die britische Monarchie erschüttert und…

🔴 15 STARS, die durch UNFÄLLE starben! | Grace Kelly, Paul Walker & mehr.

In einer schockierenden Enthüllung über die Vergänglichkeit des Lebens wurden 15 tragische Schicksale berühmter Persönlichkeiten aufgedeckt, die durch schreckliche Unfälle aus dem Leben gerissen wurden. Diese Geschichten sind…

VOR 1 MINUTE: Schock-Nachricht für Bernhard Brink – Was seine Frau jetzt bestätigt, wird dich erschüttern!

**VOR 1 MINUTE: Große Trauer für Bernhard Brink – Seine Frau bestätigte es.** In einem schockierenden Moment der Trauer hat Andrea Brink, die Ehefrau des legendären deutschen Sängers…

Frozen-Shoulder: So bekommen Sie Schulterschmerzen in den Griff!

**Breaking News: Frozen Shoulder – So Bekommen Sie Schulterschmerzen in den Griff!** In Deutschland leiden über 4 Millionen Menschen an einer schmerzhaften Frozen Shoulder, auch bekannt als Schultersteife….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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