TULSA, Okla. — The Historic Greenwood District was once a thriving hub in Tulsa, torn down in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
A Tulsan is taking it upon himself to restore prosperous business in Black Wall Street in the form of an app.
"When you are actually trying to support you just don’t know where they’re at, you know, that’s the hardest part,” Daniel Rogers said.
Rogers launched his app 'Black Dais' in April. Rogers is uploading a directory of around 400 black-owned Oklahoma businesses to the app.
"There’s no other apps or websites out there that have more than 10 or 15 businesses in Tulsa, which is unacceptable," he said.
Country Q BBQ Owner Bristol Tottress and No Mess Lawn Care Owner Marvin Smith Junior joined the Black Dais team.
"This is the starting point of rebuilding what we lost and making our own paths," Tottress said.
“For us as small business owners, especially as black small business owners, the best thing that we have is word of mouth," Smith Jr. said.
But it's not their only promotion, anymore. Black Dais allows users to search local businesses by categories, locations, and ratings.
"You can just pull a business up right here in on the map," Rogers said.
"What Daniel is doing right now is needed," Lester Shaw, owner of The Motherland, said.
Shaw's medical cannabis dispensary is one in a sea of hundreds across Tulsa. Joining Rogers's app is a way for him to be noticed in the crowded industry.
"We are Black Wall Street. It's a part of us," Shaw said. "So bringing it back in the form of an app is amazing."
Black Dais is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Rogers said the app will appear on Apple's App Store in the coming weeks.
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