Vision
Our Focus Areas
We envision Tulsa as a community that celebrates and promotes the extraordinary heritage, history and legacy of African Americans and the Greenwood District and is a model of multiculturalism at its best.
We value our history and the integrity of our ancestors. We make the promise to tell the whole truth of 1921 and those that were affected through the tragic massacre that occurred just steps from where our building is located.
“History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveler.” -Henry Galssie
History
"We believe sustainability of our cultural heritage must be at the heart of our existence."
Culture
We believe education is the key to understanding Greenwood's history and people. We take pride in honoring the vision of our founders by offering educational and cultural learning opportunities.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards…” -Soren Kierkegaard
Future
DISCOVER
Greenwood Spaces
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We are the perfect place for your upcoming event, whether it's a wedding, corporate meeting, gala or festival.
Greenwood Cultural Center is proud to participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture, which supports arts organizations through strategic improvements to technology infrastructure.
Greenwood Cultural Center is a charitable organization under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are deductible for federal income, estate, and gift tax purposes.
Greenwood Features
Barney Clever
"Barney S. Cleaver, the first African-American policeman in Tulsa, was born in Newbern, VA in 1865 (the actual date was January 2, 1867). In Newbern, he attended public school until he was fifteen. He then moved to Charleston, WV where he initially worked on a steamer and later worked in the coal mines.
Mt. Zion
The church, like others in Greenwood, was a symbol of economic might that became symbolic of the largest concentration of black wealth in America. To have Mount Zion return in a state “as good as it ever was,” said Givens, inspired the district’s black residents to move forward.
A.J Smitherman
A.J. Smitherman, newspaper editor and publisher of the Tulsa Star, was not only an influential leader in Tulsa's wealthy and growing black community, he was its conscience. He helped shape the spirit of The Black Wall Street of America with his continuous and fearless denunciations against Jim Crow.
Greenwood Rebuild
It has been noted the origin of war is theft, a collective will for a collective purpose. Tulsa's blacks may have fallen victim of the axiom. They had refused to sell their land, with its strategic location, before and after the catastrophe.
Future GCC
The future of GCC is bright and changing! We are currently working on a renovation project and we can’t wait for you to see all that we have in store.
What Makes Us Special
