Greenwood District Business Owners Excited For Education, Foot Traffic With New Museum

Hope is rising in Greenwood as business owners in the area said Friday’s groundbreaking for a new museum comes with promise for a strong future.

Business owners in Tulsa’s Greenwood District said Friday’s groundbreaking for a new museum comes with promise for a strong future. The museum will share the history of the massacre and its victims.  

Related Story: Groundbreaking Begins On New Greenwood Rising History Museum In Downtown Tulsa

Just steps away from “Greenwood Rising,” visitors will be able to grab a popsicle, sit down for lunch or buy a t-shirt to take back home. 

"I think it's gonna help all the businesses,” Cleo Harris said.  

Harris owns Black Wall Street T-Shirts and Souvenirs on Greenwood. It's already a busy place, and Harris has high expectations for the future. 

"It will definitely grow us, eventually, to where we probably would need a bigger space,” Harris said.  

However, more important to him is the impact the museum will have by teaching people about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. 

"Number one, to help educate. That's very important. Not to continue to sweep the dark history of what happened here,” Harris said.  

"I am so excited. For two reasons,” Angela Myrick said.  

Education, rather than profit, is driving her excitement. 

"I think it just gives everybody a better opportunity to really learn and understand what happened,” Myrick said.  

She's still eager for the increase in foot traffic. Myrick owns Tulsa's Frios Gourmet Pops, which just opened in 2017. 

"More people will see Frios, come into Frios, enjoys and come back to Frios,” she said.  

When the museum opens next fall Myrick anticipates it will mark the beginning of a rebirth for the area, 100 years after it was destroyed. 

"Hopefully see more of a revitalization of Black Wall Street. I'm really excited about that possibility,” Myrick said.  

For both Harris and Myrick, thinking about what's in store for the future of their businesses, starts with taking a look back at Tulsa's past.