O.W. Gurley

O.W. Gurley was a prominent African American businessman and community leader in the early 20th century. He founded the Black business district known as "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the 1910s and 1920s, creating a thriving hub of black-owned shops, banks, and services. Gurley’s efforts helped foster economic independence and empowerment for Black residents at a time of widespread racial discrimination. His legacy is remembered for his entrepreneurial spirit and contribution to Black economic development, despite the tragic destruction of Tulsa's prosperity during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.