in Greenwood, Oklahoma. Those words serve not only as a message upon entering the space, but also a recognition of the communal unity that created the success of the historic Greenwood District, which was also known as Black Wall Street.
The goal of the yearlong series is to be a platform for local artists, especially black artists, to showcase their talents. Beyond that, the purpose of the exhibition is to create more positive relationships between the black and the white communities in Tulsa who have long been marred by the city’s racist past.
However, Tulsa native Wright says that while there is more acknowledgment, important factors are still missing from the conversation. It’s why he feels the focus needs to be on"conciliation" — where there is an opportunity for mediation between these two communities, as well as an apology and reparation.
Henley, who was born and raised in Tulsa, says she started Black Moon last April as a means of representation. “I knew all of these creative, young, black artists but we really didn’t have venues or spaces to show our art,” she said. “So, I pulled together as many people as possible, so we would have a platform and be a force of upliftment and change.”
The artists see their work as a gateway to healing and their collaborative efforts as a means to increasing hope and awareness and building a community in Tulsa and beyond. “We as a collective are postured toward community and building events and projects to further engage,” Black Moon member Alexander Tamahn said. “That in and of itself is the spirit of Black Wall Street which wasn’t relegated to just the spaces on a block.
Black Wall st. ? Bro the you mean Martin Luther King boulevard?🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wise do not live in the past. Learn and improve from the mistakes of yesterday and keep marching forward to make tomorrow a better day.
For F’s sake if you want to eliminate racism stop talking about it
Digging up bones....
We wuz Dow Jones n sheeeiitt