By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
Eagle Staff Writer
Kadjeer and Maggie Yar of the Hille Foundation met with a group of Black Wall Street stake holders on Tuesday, September 17 to discuss the vision for a new online directory being developed for Greenwood businesses. Another meeting will take place within a month to gather more insight and input as they move forward with the online directory at a yet to be disclosed location. The meeting gathered feedback from stake holders and business holders on how they can benefit from the site and allowed them to express web content ideas.
Maggie Hille Yar of the Hille Foundation opened the meeting with remarks inviting all attendees to share dialog from all areas, even to express concerns as to the marketing and functionality of the online directory noting that it is for all business within the “Deep Greenwood” area.
Kadjeer Yar of GreenArch and Hille Foundation stated that the directory would increase business traffic in “Deep Greenwood” with shared social media and web page content. The vision of the directory is to create a strong search engine optimization (SEO) and promote entrepreneurial resilience within “Deep Greenwood.”
One of the strengths of Black Wall Street was a fully developed business district where you could purchase everything you needed within the Black Wall Street area. If we are ever going to get back to anything like the past, we must continue to develop and support business in the “Deep Greenwood” district.
There are currently four African American owned businesses in the current GreenArch location. The Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, Silhouette Sneaker & Art, The Black Wall Street Art Gallery and a black owned hair salon.
Yvette Troupe, owner, Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge stated: “It was a pleasure to host the Deep Greenwood Web Directory Meeting at our soon-to-be open coffee shop on Greenwood. We learned a great deal about the need for an inclusive resource for the businesses in the greater North Tulsa area.”
Another point of discussion during the meeting was the GreenArch II business development to be built on the corner of Greenwood and Archer scheduled to be open in early 2021. Hilli Foundation representatives expressed the ultimate desire to make vast opportunities for entrepreneurs and business owners of all ethnic back grounds to be able to become tenants of the new facility. While there is plenty of room coming in the new development Yar stated that he would fill the building on a first come first serve basis.
Black Wall Street as we know it today is very, very different from the 1920’s, but as we move forward into the future our participation today is vital. Our support of businesses within the “Deep Greenwood” district is vital to honoring yesterday, standing today, and investing in our community’s future whereby we will solidify tomorrow.
All businesses on Greenwood were invited to the meeting attendees were Phillip Armstrong, Donald Horner, Guy and Yvette Troupe, Venita Cooper, Brandon Oldham, Hannah Jackson, Mary Ann Hille, Pastor Robert Turner, Hannibal Johnson, Rueben Gant, Julius Pegues, Lincoln Cochran, Shiphaney Jones, Richard Baxter, Brandon Jackson, Bobby Eaton Sr, and Dwight Eaton.
