Black to the Movies by Michael Stradford

'What Gurley did was for the long term-for the generations who never would have met him.Ĭalling Gurley's work 'a blueprint for future generations: He laid the groundwork for our generation to pick it up and run with it.'Īn educator and entrepreneur who made his wealth as a landowner, Gurley purchased 40 acres in Tulsa to be sold to 'coloreds only.' Senate Bill Number 1, the state's first piece of legislation, prevented coloreds from residing, traveling and marrying outside their race. Magazine that, 'Out of the 600 businesses in Tulsa, Gurley owned at least 100 as a result of demand and need,' Dr. 'That's a result of Gurley's contributions.' Dr. President of the Black Wall Street USA national movement. 'You had the wealthy, middle class, the poor Blacks all living on the same block, and so many of those individuals who started out in the working class,īecause they lived there, would eventually go on to own their own business in the Greenwood District,' Black ownership was unheard of at that time. In 1906, Gurley moved to Tulsa where he purchased 40 acres of land which was 'only to be sold to colored'. The young entrepreneur had just resigned from a presidential appointment under president Grover Cleveland in order to strike out on his own. Gurley, a wealthy African American land-owner from Arkansas, traversed the United States to participate in the

Just around the start of the 20th century Ottawa W.

� The Visionary of Black Wall Street Tulsa

Black to the Movies by Michael Stradford