In June of 2021, Tulsa observed the centennial anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The tragic events of May 31-June 1, 1921 destroyed the historic African American business district known as Black Wall Street and the surrounding community that once stretched outward from Greenwood Avenue leaving thousands homeless, hundreds injured, and an unknown number killed.

In the years leading up to the centennial, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission was formed by a group of federal, state, and local leaders with the goal of educating Oklahomans and Americans about the Race Massacre, remembering the victims and survivors, and creating an environment conducive to sustainable entrepreneurship and heritage tourism within the Greenwood District and North Tulsa.

The Greenwood Rising: Black Wall Street History Center represents one of the Centennial Commission’s initiatives. It is an educational hub to tell Greenwood’s story of Tragedy to Triumph and provides a platform for important discussions about history and race relations.

Together, the Centennial Commission, Narrate Design, and experience design studio Local Projects have created a world-class destination that will offer a step towards healing for the Tulsa community.

THE GATEWAY TO GREENWOOD
Positioned at a historic entrance to the Greenwood District, Greenwood Rising acts as a gateway marking the corner of North Greenwood Avenue and East Archer Street. The building itself is transformative in time and place — a platform to help heal the past, engage the present, and inspire the future. Through form and materiality, the exterior envelope pays tribute to the resilient and vibrant Greenwood spirit.

Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) rainscreen panels float above the ground and feature an ascending pattern of voids, symbolically representing the resiliency and revitalization that has marked the spirit of the historic district throughout its existence.

Light activates the building facade. The voids capture daylight, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. At dusk, the facade takes on a different character altogether, emitting a display of colored light, reminiscent of the cyclic transformation of Black Wall Street from a bustling business district by day to an entertainment district at night.

The project is envisioned as a cultural destination capturing the story of the Greenwood District and paving a road toward reconciliation. In synergy with other existing and planned projects for the district — John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park, Vernon A.M.E. Church, Greenwood Cultural Center, the Greenwood Art Project, and the Pathway to Hope — Greenwood Rising will immerse visitors in the history and spirit of Greenwood.