TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum sent a letter to President Joe Biden, asking him to designate Black Wall Street and the Greenwood District as a national monument.
He wrote, in part "this monument would highlight a historically-forgotten-about event in American history and serve as a warning that this moment in history must never be repeated.”
Reuben Gant, Executive Director of the John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation, says the effort has been building for years. For example, Greenwood just got listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year.
“So, the next step for us is to solidify Greenwood’s place in American history with a national monument,” Gant said.
Gant says they will soon be asking for the public’s input, adding that it could be a big economic boost for the neighborhood.
“Certainly, I think it would lend itself to tourism here,” he said. “There’s already been an upswing in national attention that Greenwood has received as of late.”
At Tee’s Barbershop, Willie Sells says he’s all for more business and tourism in the area, but doesn’t want just any jobs coming to the area, but good jobs for future generations.
“We would hope that it would [accomplish that],” he said. “We know when you building something, there’s going to be some jobs.”
One part of the process is putting together a resolution, which councilors have done and will be presented at Wednesday’s meeting. If councilors approve moving forward, it would be voted on Feb. 22.
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