Black Legacy Fest Continues With Parade Through Greenwood

Hundreds of people participated in the Centennial Black Wall Street Heritage Parade in Greenwood Saturday as part of the Black Wall Street Legacy Fest. This wasn’t a typical parade through Greenwood, many say this was to educate, inform, and heal as the community heads into the Centennial on Monday.

The Parade began at Greenwood and Archer Saturday morning with Mary Williams announcing each float on the World Culture Stage. This was the first event in the Saturday lineup for the Black Wall Street Legacy Fest. The route made its way through the entirety of the Greenwood District.

Dozens of floats participated to show the history of iconic Black Americans within Tulsa and Oklahoma. Per parade organizer Mary William’s rules, each person participating was required to pick a legendary Black American to learn about and embody for the parade. Many of these participants dressed up in 20’s fashion and spoke at the parade, sharing their character’s story with everyone watching.

The Booker T. Washington High School band, local artists, business owners, poets, singers, and more were part of the parade’s lineup.

One Greenwood Business Owner says this whole weekend is important for many reasons, but she says everyone is keeping the lives lost at the forefront of their mind.

“It was not just the street it was the entire community, we want to make sure everything they went through isn’t in vain,” Eddye Alan said.

People from all over the country are in Greenwood to witness the history of the Centennial for themselves.

“It’s beautiful to see people are recognizing what happened in Tulsa and coming together to support so I’m excited about that,” Kene Daniels said.

Many of those who attended say they could feel an energy in Greenwood that hasn’t been present in years. Teriza West is from Tulsa and said this week she feels closer than ever to her beloved community.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the whole community come together like this and have felt the love like this,” West said.

This is just one of more than a dozen events happening this weekend here in Greenwood for a full list CLICK HERE