TULSA, Okla. — Local leaders are throwing more support behind an effort to get the Greenwood District and Black Wall Street designated a national monument.
By a unanimous vote, Tulsa County Commissioners voted to approve a letter to President Joe Biden in support of the designation. Commissioner Karen Keith said it was an easy decision to help with tourism, the growth of the area and education.
“This will be another important piece in that,” said Keith. “It’s an opportunity to learn and leave with a better understanding that this should never happen again.”
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum already sent a similar letter to President Biden. Commissioners view their letter as an additional level of support.
It is welcome news to people like Cara Rogers, who works at Liquid Lounge in the Greenwood District.
“I think it’s pretty cool to finally get a lot of recognition because this is a hidden gem,” she said.
Keith said commissioners were originally set to vote on the letter last week. The delay wasn’t due to someone not being on board with the idea, but because they wanted to tweak some of the language.
“The city hasn’t identified the actual site yet, so we wanted to acknowledge that in the letter,” said Keith.
Greenwood just got listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year. Organizers behind the effort say this is the natural next step to solidify Greenwood’s place in American history.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
