Community Reacts To Remember & Rise Cancelation: ‘Not About A Moment, But A Movement’

A lot of people are disappointed with the last-minute cancellation of the Remember and Rise Centennial event. Although there was a sense of letdown, the sense of resilience was far more present.

Related Story: Remember & Rise Event Canceled 4 Days Before Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial

Keith Ewing, a business owner in Greenwood, said the centennial feels different without a main event.

"This was the whole cake itself, so now you just have the icing and maybe a cherry. So yeah, we could say that there is more that is happening. Which is absolutely correct and let's not take away from that, but this was a really huge thing," Ewing said.

Sandy Alexis, who works in Greenwood, said this moment can't be kept down by one missing event.

"What we really need to look at is are we going to be there for the rest of the events, and how much are we learning?" she said.

Starr Fisher is opening a new business in Greenwood. She said despite the cancellation, there is still plenty to celebrate.

"Honestly I feel exuberant, I feel ecstatic, I feel like Black Wall Street is not about a moment, it's about a movement," Fisher said. "We are remembering, and we are going to still rise."

Ewing shared a similar sentiment.

"Greenwood is known for their resilience,” Ewing said. “So even though there is some deflation, there's still going to be more inflation because of everything else that's happening."

Alexis said now isn't the time to be caught up in disappointment, but rather a time to continue honoring what the centennial stands for.

"The disappointment has already happened when they burned wall street down. So right now, we don't have no more time to be disappointed,” Alexis said. “Right now, all we have is energy to rise and do better and continue to build and rebuild.”