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In the 1900s, a predominantly black community
in Greenwood, Oklahoma known as the Black Wall
Street, created an economic system that grew to over
600 businesses. The businesses included hospitals,
libraries, public schools, theatres, hotels,
restaurants, printing firms, transportation
companies, bars, night clubs, farmland, funeral
homes, churches, etc. How were they so successful?
According to the book The Rise and Fall of Black
Wall Street by Robin Walker, “White racism was a
major impetus for the growth of the Black Business
District. Blacks could work in the White areas as
common laborers, domestics and in the service
sector, but their money was not welcomed by the
White businesses. So, they decided to create their
own opportunity by doing business amongst their
own community. They say one dollar circulated over
36 to 100 times before it left the community. Their
success caused the nation’s worst incidents of racial
violence in 1921.” After studying the history of the
Black Wall Street, I found out:
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