When motorcyclists roar into Tulsa Thursday for the start of the Black Wall Street Rally, they will kick off a three-day celebration of Greenwood’s legacy and cultural importance.
Rally organizer Brandon Jackson said it’ll be like a “big homecoming.”
“It’s Black excellence that mixes excitement about entrepreneurship, history, culture, food and entertainment,” Jackson said.
The festival has attracted about 20,000 riders and fans each year since it began in 2022. They’ve come from as far away as Alaska and the United Kingdom, helping contribute to a $2.1 million economic impact, Jackson told The Eagle.
A USA TODAY reader survey recently ranked it the second-best cultural festival in the country.
The festival features a number of sessions focused on economic prosperity, physical health and some fun. There will be a financial symposium and comedy show Thursday, along with a health and wellness fair and Steppin Down Black Wall Street Friday. Saturday wraps up with Legacy Wealth and Continuity and a concert with One Way featuring Al Hudson.
Organizers have also added a smartphone app this year. Even with the swell of events, Jackson said the most sought-after experience is a simple walk through the district.
“People want to see that one block,” Jackson said, referring to historic Black Wall Street — what was once the epicenter of the economy for Tulsa’s Black community. “They see those brass markers on the sidewalk. Then they go through Greenwood Rising. It tells its own story.”
Steve “Jerzee” Perry, a member of the Kansas City Ruff Ryders, has been at every rally. He said the culture and history of Tulsa makes the festival a “vibe.”
“The community getting together to remember what Black Wall Street used to be, trying to rebuild that resilience in the community and support. It’s just a beautiful thing,” Perry said.
That’s how Phil Armstrong wants them to feel. He has been working behind the scenes on the festival since its inception.
The long-term impact isn’t measured in dollars but instead what happens before visitors leave Greenwood — and enticing them to return, Armstrong said.
“It’s marketed all year-round,” Armstrong said. “Before people leave to go home, they get it in people’s minds that this is an annual event — to make sure you come back.”
The rally kicks off at 9 a.m. Thursday. The full schedule can be found online.
