The Oklahoma Eagle Newswire
The history center will be free for the first year and reservations can be made at greenwoodrising.org
Tulsa, Okla. —Greenwood Rising, a world-class history center located near the heart of the Greenwood District in Downtown Tulsa celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, Aug. 4. The center honors the icons of Black Wall Street, memorializes the victims of the massacre and examines the lessons of the past to inspire meaningful, sustainable action in the present.
The museum utilizes multi-media experiences and carefully curated artifacts to tell the remarkable, resilient story of Greenwood and the community. Visitors are invited to reflect and engage in conversation throughout the experience to spur action in their own lives.
“It has been exciting to watch the reservations come in for tours of Greenwood Rising over the coming weeks and months and we are so grateful to our funders for allowing the first year to be free for all visitors,” said Phil Armstrong, interim executive director of Greenwood Rising.
Through truth-telling and education for all, Greenwood Rising aims to repair lingering historical racial trauma while working towards restoration as well as chart a new, vibrant and inclusive course for the future. The efforts will create a container for visitors to reflect, commit to racial justice and reconciliation and promote enhanced race relations.
Under the leadership of Senator Kevin Matthews, founder and chair of the Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission, the commission leadership team invited active commissioners, community influencers and leaders within the diversity, equity and inclusion space to build Greenwood Rising’s foundation, strategy and governance as an independent entity. The nine-person, inaugural board reflects diverse skill offerings, knowledge and representation from the community.
“I am honored to be the inaugural board chair for Greenwood Rising,” said Jessica Lowe-Betts, diversity and inclusion consultant for ONEOK. “I believe this center, experience and programming will elevate the conversation about the massacre to move toward healing, reconciliation and reparations.”
Joining Lowe-Betts on the board are Sam Combs, Maggie Hille-Yar, Cingy McGhee, Brenda Alford, Alecia Brown, Dr. Deborah Gist, Hannibal B. Johnson and Sandra Quince.
The center hosted a dedication ceremony on June 2 of this year and hosted tours during a short, limited preview offering. 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre descendants were the first to visit the history center after the dedication. During the preview, North Tulsa residents, descendants and community groups were prioritized before the history center closed to finalize construction.
Greenwood rising is open from 9 am. to 8 p.m. daily with the last tour beginning at 7 p.m. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. Admission is free for the first year, but registration is required. Reserve your time online at greenwoodrising.org/visit
