‘Pathway Of Hope’ Connecting Greenwood To Reconciliation Park Unveiled

Greenwood leaders unveiled the Pathway of Hope Friday, a trail that connects Greenwood with John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park. 

The trail between I-244 and ONEOK Field is aimed at bringing life to this area and making sure we don't forget our past.

Construction on the $5 million pathway started late last year. Placed between the highway and baseball field, it connects Elgin to Greenwood Avenue. Art, messages of hope, lighting, and landscaping are all part of the trail.

Organizers said the highway was a huge part of the decline for businesses on Black Wall street. They said this is another way to acknowledge that history and renew the area.

They said it's been years in the making.

"It takes a team to bring about that vision the team assembled, with visionaries, designers, and engineers," said Sec. Tim Gatz with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "It was nothing short of amazing."

"It almost feels as if you're not in a blighted place that was destroyed," said Race Massacre Centennial Commission Project Director Phil Armstrong. "You're in a renaissance place and reminded how beautiful this place was for black citizens that called this home."

Speakers also read the names of every business destroyed in the 1921 Race Massacre to honor their impact. Now, this pathway is open for anyone to walk through.