TULSA, Okla. – Justice for Greenwood has awarded $21,000 in grants to 13 churches and Booker T. Washington High School, the only school that survived the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. These institutions continue to serve the Greenwood community today.
Each church received $1,500 to support their spiritual, social, and community programs, while Booker T. Washington High School received a $1,500 grant through its boys’ basketball team booster club.
“These Churches and Booker T. were the heart and soul of Greenwood,” said Damario Solomon-Simmons, founder and executive director of Justice for Greenwood. “They have served as the spiritual and cultural bedrock of Black Wall Street before, during, and after the Massacre. Honoring these churches and Booker T. today reflects our commitment to preserving their legacy and supporting their vital work as we continue to fight for justice for the massacre survivors, descendants and the broader Greenwood community.”
The grants, distributed through the Justice for Greenwood Legacy Fund, bring the organization’s total contributions to these historic institutions to over $40,000 since 2021.
The 13 Greenwood churches receiving funding include:
- Morning Star Baptist Church
- Metropolitan Baptist Church
- Greater Union Baptist Church
- Paradise Baptist Church
- Mt. Zion Baptist Church
- Vernon A.M.E. Church
- Wesley Chapel
- First Baptist Church North Tulsa
- Bethel Seventh Day Adventist
- First Church of God in Christ
- Christ Temple C.M.E.
- Church of the Living God Temple 53
- Progressive Baptist Church
Each of these institutions faced destruction or damage during the massacre and has since been instrumental in preserving the Greenwood community’s legacy.
Legacy Fund
The Justice for Greenwood Legacy Fund aims to raise and distribute $200 million in grants and scholarships to address the harm caused by the massacre. In May 2021, the fund provided $300,000 to the last three living survivors of the massacre: Hughes Vann Ellis (before his passing in 2023), Viola Fletcher, and Lessie Benningfield Randle.
“A tremendous amount of wealth was stolen from Greenwood families, and in the weeks and years that followed, critical resources were unjustly denied,” said Solomon-Simmons. “Justice for Greenwood is proud to do its part to support the community members who continue to reel from the impact of the massacre. We pray that others – especially the remaining entities that participated in the atrocity – will find it in their heart to do the same.”
To date, the Legacy Fund has contributed nearly $500,000 to community institutions and churches, including the Greenwood Cultural Center, Oklahoma Black Educators Hall of Fame, Black Wall Street Legacy Festival, and four North Tulsa schools.
For more information about Justice for Greenwood’s work or to contribute to its mission, visit justiceforgreenwood.org.
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