As the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre fight for reparations, the city is preparing to turn one of the landmarks at the center of the riots into a hub for Black entrepreneurs.
According to the Black Wall Street Times, the dilapidated Greenwood Moton Hospital—which once treated victims of the massacre—will be restored and remodeled into a business hub that caters directly to the city’s Black business hopefuls. On Aug. 2, the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) held a demolition ceremony to mark the start of the construction of the resource center.
A partnership between Partner Tulsa, the city of Tulsa, TEDC, and Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton (GEM) hopes to begin the process of bringing Black-owned businesses back to the community that was once home to the original Black Wall Street. The 9,500-square-foot space will be open to entrepreneurs who have completed a TEDC cohort or have an approved business plan; however, costs will only be waived for the former. It is a full-circle moment for residents of Greenwood who understand the rich history connected to the medical institution.
In 1921, it was the only hospital where Black victims of the race riots could be treated. Many lives were saved behind the institution’s doors on the days following the white domestic terror attack; its presence has been a constant reminder in the decades after. Originally named the Maurice Williams Hospital, the medical facility would be rebuilt and erected in honor of the former president of the Tuskegee Institute, Robert Russa Moton. The city and county have invested $5 million for its latest development to help the project come to life. “It means creating physical spaces where Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs can access the resources and mentorship they need to launch and grow their own businesses, and ensuring these businesses can access capital through targeted loan funds,” said Partner Tulsa Executive Director Kian Kamas.
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