Larachelle Samuel-Smith – författare

Whether the term Black Wall Street is familiar to you or not, this new e-book, Black to the Future: Lessons from Black Wall Street for Community and Economic Prosperity, will provide fresh insights into this community. Those insights include key takeaways for the present day. In it, we will explore in detail how specific Black business pioneers and neighborhood residents created a sustainable model for community growth and empowerment.

"Go West!" may not be a refrain that you associate with the Black migration experience in the post-Civil War era. However, that is what many Black Americans did. In fact, it was during this time that several Black towns popped up across the West, including Greenwood, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Home to numerous thriving businesses, education, and health facilities, Greenwood became known as Black Wall Street. This was due to the community''s wealth and self-sufficiency. But how did these individuals, who were only decades removed from slavery, accomplish such a feat? And what can those who care about strengthening communities learn from their example? This work aims to demonstrate how we can gain insight into the present and beyond by looking toward the past.