YES! Tulsa Tech Week Aims To Rebuild Black Wall Street

On May 31 and June 1, 1921, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, mobs of white residents brutally attacked the African American community of Greenwood, colloquially known as 'Black Wall Street,' in the deadliest racial massacre in U.S. history. Homes, businesses, and community structures including schools, churches, a hospital, and the library were looted and burned or otherwise destroyed. Exact statistics are unknown, but the violence left around 10,000 people homeless and as many as 300 people dead with many more missing and wounded.;Photo postcards of the Tulsa Race Massacre were widely distributed following the massacre in 1921. Like postcards depicting lynchings, these souvenir cards were powerful declarations of white racial power and control. Decades later, the cards served as evidence for community members working to recover the forgotten history of the riot and secure justice for its victims and their descendants. Artist Unknown. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

Tulsa is preparing to host its second annual Tulsa Tech Week. The event is a six-day gathering, Sept. 22-27, founded by Tariqua “Tai” Nehisi. All are welcome at no cost. Tulsa Tech Week is a citywide festival featuring over 50 partners hosting multiple sessions, panels, and networking opportunities. Organizers describe it as an accessible way to bring together founders, engineers, students, and investors in a single place.

In an interview with AFROTech, Nehisi spoke about what led the New York native to move to Oklahoma and build in the city.

“I made a decision to move here at least for the year and see what Tulsa looked like. And in moving here, I arrived at a time when a concerted effort was underway to support the rebuilding of Black Wall Street through a technical lens, with Black- and brown-focused tech companies. And I got into an accelerator to accelerate my business, and that’s how everything really started,” Nehisi said.

Participants can choose from “attendee paths” tailored to specific career paths. These include founders, hackers, STEAM scholars, and investors. Each path provides programming that will deepen industry knowledge. Following programming for specific paths also allows attendees the opportunity to network with others in their field.

Community engagement is also at the center of the programming. Startup Grind Tulsa will host a Walk & Talk networking event at the city’s Gathering Place Park on September 24. The event will also provide visibility for local vendors at its open market.

The Oklahoma Small Business Exchange will host a State of Technology Roundtable during the week, bringing together local and national voices to discuss the challenges facing small businesses in a rapidly changing tech economy.

Nehisi is working to not only rebuild Tulsa’s economic community but to expand it. Tulsa Tech Week is described as an inclusive space, with programming designed to attract diverse communities and spotlight underrepresented entrepreneurs.

With Tulsa’s growing reputation as a destination for remote workers and startups, Tech Week has been framed as more than a conference but a citywide showcase of how technology and culture intersect in Oklahoma.

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YES! Tulsa Tech Week Aims To Rebuild Black Wall Street

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