Black Wall Street

Tulsa 1921

As I stare at the dangling sign

It reads Williams Dreamland Theater

Hanging on by a thread it’s about all that’s left
 
Dawn rises in Tulsa 1921 smoke and debris is all that’s stands

Downtown shoe shine boy gets accused of

Being lewd with a White Lady

Newspaper prints the story and a white crowd grows for hours

Black men assemble put on war uniforms

March down to the courthouse to save a Black man from lynching

Police say there is nothing to fear go home and chill out

Police give out deputy badges saying white boys go get a nigger

As the night passes onto dawn 2000 angry torches

Descend onto the Greenwood neighborhood

Planes fly by drop lit tar balls families dreams are in ashes

Worse than a war zone because it’s in our backyard
 
It didn’t get better after the race massacre

White prospectors want to buy Greenwood

But a lawyer sets up a tent starts producing legal documents

Tells the people to build use anything to build a house

Tents pop up businesses start back up

9 years old asleep Doris get up get dressed

Momma screams as the fire approaches

College educated shoemaker does everything right(white)

Comes back in the morning bricks and ashes are all that’s left

They burnt down Black Wall Street

All we can do is rebuild better than ever