Children of Black Wall Street?the real survivors

Blackonomics

By James Clingman

My final event in Black History Month 2007 was by far the most rewarding and inspiring. It strengthened my resolve to continue to fight for what is right and to stand against what is wrong.

Having had the absolute pleasure of being in the company of six survivors of the riot in the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Okla., in 1921, I received yet another "booster shot" necessary to keep me from being infected with complacency and apathy. My consciousness was lifted once again; my spirit was buoyed, springing to new heights; my soul was touched by the ruminations of those elders; and I was energized by their zest for life, their spryness, and their pride.

The Northeast Church of Christ in Oklahoma City and its Northeast College Students Network designed and executed a week-long series of educational, inspirational and informative commemorations and celebrations in honor of the "Indomitable Spirit" of the survivors of one of this nation's dirty little secrets?The Tulsa Race War, in which hundreds of blacks were murdered and their prosperous community was burned to the ground.

Allow me to offer kudos to the Northeast Church of Christ congregation and also say that Oklahoma City should be proud to have such a progressive, caring, spirit-led group of people in its midst. While I could use the remainder of this article just listing the folks who made it all possible, knowing they are not looking for individual recognition, I will instead discuss the survivors and their story of tragedy and triumph.

The tragedy side of the Black Wall Street massacre, replete with fire-bombings, shootings, and burning bodies, is usually dominates conversations related to Tulsa on May 31, 1921. The aftermath of black survivors being rounded up, placed in makeshift concentration camps, and having to wait for a white person to come and "claim" them, to the mass graves, abandoned mines and the river in which black bodies were discarded, to the families torn apart and left with absolutely nothing, are the primary aspects of most discussions of Black Wall Street. But, there is "the rest of the story."

We celebrated the triumph, the victory of resurgence, the "Renaissance," as Dr. Kevin McPherson noted during our panel discussion, the strength and resiliency of black people who, against all odds and in spite of the worst that could happen to them, came back to rebuild Greenwood. They did such a great job of literally rising from the ashes left by the fires of a hateful, jealous, and envious white mob, so much so that four years later, in 1925, the National Negro Business Association held its convention in Greenwood.

Although small children then, most of the survivors living today can remember their parents and grandparents telling them what went on back then, how they escaped, the relatives they lost, and the resulting abject poverty that ensued after the riot.

Eddie Faye Gates, author, former teacher, and community activist has done yeoman's work interviewing the survivors and chronicling their recollections of the "Riot on Greenwood," as her book on the subject is titled. She attended and participated in the celebration in Oklahoma City and shared poignant recollections of her meetings with the survivors. She laments, "There are only 82 still alive." Bless her for capturing their stories in her book and having them placed in the Greenwood Cultural Center for all to see. Gates is also working with noted Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree and others to obtain reparations for the survivors.

The six Tulsa Race Riot survivors I had the honor to meet and spend three days with are: John Melvin Alexander, my Navy buddy, with whom I shared breakfast and lunch; Hazel Jones, just as feisty as she wants to be; Thelma Knight, whose son and daughter had to move fast to keep up with her; Julius Warren Scott, the "youngest" survivor, as he puts it; James Steward, the quiet one, but a sharp dresser; and my man, Wess Young, who proudly wore a gold medallion around his neck signifying his role as "survivor." He was always fired up.

Maybe I will have the privilege of meeting more of the "Children of Black Wall Street," especially the oldest one, who is 105-yearsold, and the one who plays in a jazz band in France. Sister Gates said he is 89-years-old and still doing his thing. Whether I do or not, I will always remember the times I shared with the six survivors, their liveliness, their humility and their Indomitable Spirit.

I ask you to ponder the words of the president of Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, immediately following the riot:

"The deplorable event is the greatest wound Tulsa's civic pride has ever received. Leading businessmen are in hourly conference and a movement is now being organized? to formulate a plan of reparation."

Sound familiar? Eighty-six years later and the Children of Black Wall Street are still fighting for their reparations. How can this country, and those who supposedly run it, not be so ashamed of the Tulsa Race Riot that they would not immediately grant reparations for the lives lost and the millions of dollars in property destroyed back then?

We celebrated the triumph, and it's not over yet. The fight continues in International Court, since our own courts would not do the right thing. Even better, we still have the "real" survivors amongst us, their laughter, their spirit, and their strength which will, in turn, strengthen us in our resolve to stand up and speak out against injustice.

I thank all of you for a once-in-alifetime experience. I am so proud to have been selected to share in your celebration of the Survivors of Black Wall Street?and the "children" they left behind.

James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati's African American Studies department, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald Newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. He hosts the radio program, "Blackonomics" and has written several books, including "Economic Empowerment or Economic Enslavement? We have a Choice," "Blackonomics" and the recently published "Black-o-Knowledge- Stuff we need to know." Clingman's books are available at his Web site, www.blackonomics.com. He can be contacted there or by telephone at (513) 489-4132.

This is part of the March 14, 2007 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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