GREENWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
A Beacon for the People “Message from the Chair”
Dear friends of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce,
I am honored and humbled to serve as the Chair of the Historic Greenwood Chamber of Commerce. I follow a strong legacy of leaders such as Freeman L. Martin, the President of the “Negro Chamber of Commerce” located on Greenwood as early as 1913. Freeman, a prominent attorney, was a visionary who assembled businesses and entrepreneurs for commerce and workforce development. The Greenwood District has changed greatly in the last years as we have learned that we can use the best resource we have-- our people-- to improve economic and community development.
Over the years we have faced challenges, but, we are better because of the challenges we overcame together to make the Greenwood Chamber what it is today. Throughout it all, the Chamber has endured, serving as the last bastion charged with preserving the rich history of “Black Wall Street,” while inspiring our people to be proactive and create our own legacy, built on the foundation of Black Wall Street, but, I dare say, greater!
We have looked back. Now, let us “Launch into the Future."
To start, let's reflect on ourselves personally and professionally. Where are we?
Let’s put our differences aside to work toward the good of our community, not forgetting to help those coming behind us. This kind of self-evaluation isn't always easy, but, we must remember "We're all in this Together."
As the Historic Greenwood Chamber of Commerce moves in the direction of sustainability and accountability, let us build up the Greenwood District together!
Together we can continue to make Historic Greenwood one of Tulsa’s best locations for businesses, and one of the state’s most historical districts, as we find new and exciting ways to welcome visitors to “Black Wall Street.”
The Greenwood Chamber serves as the beacon for commerce and workforce development for the African American community in Tulsa, and for that reason, in the works for late 2017-2018, our Greenwood Business Resource Centre is partnering with Tulsa Tech to launch the “Pop –Up Small Business Assistance Center,” assisting historically underserved and underrepresented communities with starting and maintaining businesses.
This fall, GCC and the Greenwood Cultural Center will present reenactments of the “People Places and Happenings” of Historic Greenwood -1913-1963. Tulsa’s own Leon Barre’ will portray Barney Cleaver, Tulsa’s first African American Deputy Sheriff, and yours truly will be portraying Greenwood’s pioneer African American businesswoman, California “Sunshine” Taylor, who, by the way, bought her own train boxcar to travel in comfort on shopping excursions to Chicago with her friends.
Joining me, young thespian extraordinaire-Garrett Bland. Among the many guest appearances; Attorney Jim Goodwin, CEO of The Oklahoma Eagle newspaper, discussing the Goodwin Family’s century on Greenwood, Dr. Lester Shaw and the Pocketful of Hope Players and Princetta Rudd, the Greenwood Chamber’s Black Wall Street Historian.
I will be reaching out to many of you this year to get your opinions because I sincerely want to hear them.
All the best,
Rebecca Marks-Jimerson
Photo: Freeman L. Martin, early Chamber of Commerce President, Tulsa Star, August 8, 1913/The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
To start, let's reflect on ourselves personally and professionally. Where are we?
Let’s put our differences aside to work toward the good of our community, not forgetting to help those coming behind us. This kind of self-evaluation isn't always easy, but, we must remember "We're all in this Together."
As the Historic Greenwood Chamber of Commerce moves in the direction of sustainability and accountability, let us build up the Greenwood District together!
Together we can continue to make Historic Greenwood one of Tulsa’s best locations for businesses, and one of the state’s most historical districts, as we find new and exciting ways to welcome visitors to “Black Wall Street.”
The Greenwood Chamber serves as the beacon for commerce and workforce development for the African American community in Tulsa, and for that reason, in the works for late 2017-2018, our Greenwood Business Resource Centre is partnering with Tulsa Tech to launch the “Pop –Up Small Business Assistance Center,” assisting historically underserved and underrepresented communities with starting and maintaining businesses.
This fall, GCC and the Greenwood Cultural Center will present reenactments of the “People Places and Happenings” of Historic Greenwood -1913-1963. Tulsa’s own Leon Barre’ will portray Barney Cleaver, Tulsa’s first African American Deputy Sheriff, and yours truly will be portraying Greenwood’s pioneer African American businesswoman, California “Sunshine” Taylor, who, by the way, bought her own train boxcar to travel in comfort on shopping excursions to Chicago with her friends.
Joining me, young thespian extraordinaire-Garrett Bland. Among the many guest appearances; Attorney Jim Goodwin, CEO of The Oklahoma Eagle newspaper, discussing the Goodwin Family’s century on Greenwood, Dr. Lester Shaw and the Pocketful of Hope Players and Princetta Rudd, the Greenwood Chamber’s Black Wall Street Historian.
I will be reaching out to many of you this year to get your opinions because I sincerely want to hear them.
All the best,
Rebecca Marks-Jimerson
Photo: Freeman L. Martin, early Chamber of Commerce President, Tulsa Star, August 8, 1913/The Gateway to Oklahoma History.
PEOPLE PLACES HAPPENINGS ON GREENWOOD
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A Conversation With Wendy Williams and Rickesha Clark, co-owners, A NEW DIRECTION ACADEMY/HEALTH & SAFETY EDUCATION CONSULTANTS
GCC Why did you select Greenwood as the location for your school?
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