Tulsa Organization To Plant 'Tree Of Triumph' In Greenwood

The Up With Trees organization is planting the first of many commemorative trees in Greenwood on Thursday morning. They are calling this first tree the “Tree of Triumph” in honor of the resilience the Greenwood community has shown over the years.

June 2021 marks 100 years since a suspected near 300 people were killed during the Tulsa Race Massacre that took place in Greenwood. Leading up to that anniversary, Up With Trees wanted to plant the Tree of Triumph as a way to bring the community together and continue the conversation of unity.

Greenwood will eventually be full of trees and flower beds planted by the organization, but the one going in the ground on Thursday will be marked with a plaque that explains the history of the Tulsa Race Riots.

Up With Trees Executive Director, Steve Grantham said they chose the Bald Cyprus tree because it can still flourish in bad situations, and so does Greenwood.

“I think that can represent what this community went through,” Grantham says. “Definitely a lot of stress and bad things but able to bounce back and continue to grow.”

This will be the first of many trees and flower beds the organization will plant in Greenwood over the next couple of weeks and months as a way for various community groups to come together.