OWN sets June date for “The Legacy of Black Wall Street” doc
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today a new two-part special OWN Spotlight event, “The Legacy of Black Wall Street” premiering Tuesday, June 1, and Tuesday, June 8 on discovery+, the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service and will then broadcast in primetime the same evening on OWN at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.
“The Legacy of Black Wall Street” tracks the rise of Black Wall Street in Oklahoma’s Greenwood District up until the tragic 1921 Tulsa race massacre that destroyed the 36-block booming business epicenter. The commemorative documentary special shifts the narrative from the massacre itself to amplify the voices of those Black pioneers then who went West to build their American dream, weaving their stories with the inspiring modern-day Black pioneers now who continue the path to healing and rebuilding the rise of the Black community who presently occupy Greenwood.
“We're proud to tell this powerful story and commemorate the triumphant survivors who worked to rebuild and reclaim Black Wall Street,” said Tina Perry, President, OWN. “This is a significant moment in our history that will not be forgotten. We will continue to amplify Black excellence and resilience on OWN as we make strides on the road to healing.”
Ashleigh Di Tonto, Senior Vice President of Development for Trailblazer Studios, and executive producer added: “It is an honor getting to spend time with these truly remarkable pioneers and their direct descendants. Deborah and I wanted to share the intimate and unknown origin stories of those pioneers that can only be told by those closest to them; an oral history that’s passed down generation to generation. Getting to be the stewards of their stories is a privilege that is not lost on us.”
History is told through the lives of five individuals who were there in the early 1900s: Loula Williams, Augusta Stradford, Dr. Andrew C Jackson, Drusilla Dunjee Houston and A.J. Smitherman. Interlocked with the words, stories and images of these early pioneers are the words and stories of the descendants and present-day activists of the Greenwood era: Venita Cooper, Jerica Wortham, Charity Marcus, Dr. Jabraan Pasha, and Raven Majia Williams, who each embody the entrepreneurial spirits of their ancestors.
Throughout the documentary various experts, financial professionals, and iconic historians and professors such as Dr. Angela Davis, Dr. Ellora Derenoncourt as well as Representative Regina Goodwin and J. Kavin Ross, both direct descendants of the Tulsa massacre, bring their stories to life in never-before-seen interviews.
“OWN Spotlight: The Legacy of Black Wall Street” is produced by Trailblazer Studios. Executive producers include Ashleigh Di Tonto and Jeff Lanter. Deborah Riley Draper serves as director and producer.