The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Region III members gathered in historic Tulsa, Oklahoma for two days of training, networking, job opportunities, empowering conversations, and a walk-through history.
Three participants from Alcorn’s Mass Communcations Department participated in the event which were Toni Terrett, Advisor, Mekiyla Brown, Graduating Senior and Larissa Chillous, Junior.
Tulsa is recognized nationally as the home of the Greenwood District, an affluent African American community surrounded by a thriving business district, “Black Wall Street,” one of the wealthiest Black communities in the United States. This important community to the African American experience was nearly destroyed because of racist violence in June 1921.
Terrett stated, “I enjoyed the Region III NABJ Conference this year. I’m always excited to learn more about the media industry, but this trip also exposed us to the history of Black Wallstreet and the horrific events that took place there,” stated Terrett.
On May 31 and June 1, 1921, as a result of the attack, thirty-five blocks were systematically looted and burned, destroying 190 businesses and leaving 10,000 people homeless. The property loss estimated by the Tulsa Real Estate Exchange was the equivalent of $31 million in 2017.
“You can’t get this experience anywhere else. I loved that we were able to physically interact with history, which gave us a feeling of how things were, which makes me more grateful for life today,” stated Chillous.
