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Solvers learned about the historic destruction of Tulsa's Black Wallstreet Community
GSC's Brooke Rodriguez and the MIT Solve 2022 Indigenous Communities Fellows were invited to Tulsa Oklahoma for their 2023 US Equity Summit. The cohort was among previous fellows, BIPOC members of the Tulsa community, and other participants in the equity movement for a weekend of community building, teach-ins, and history lessons. As an attendee, Brooke was fortunate to participate in a variety of discussions and sessions. From sustainability and climate change to technological advancements and entrepreneurship, the summit brought together experts from different fields to share their experiences, ideas, and innovations. Many of the speakers emphasized the need for people from different backgrounds to work together to find these innovative solutions to the challenges we face as a society. This idea was particularly relevant in discussions related to sustainability, where it was clear that the issues BIPOC face are too complex and interconnected to be tackled by any one discipline or industry alone. Relations build nations.
Chief Egunwale Amusan led a tour on the history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, learning the deeply traumatic history of what happened there. "Black wall street as a name doesn't do it justice. It was more than a street, it was a thriving community" recalls Brooke upon return. "It wasn't just a financial district. This was a black community building its own businesses and economy, it was a residence, a neighborhood full of people. They destroyed generations of family lineages... What would it be like if it had been allowed to prosper? What would it have meant to black and indigenous communities today? They're not even teaching this in schools, let alone as the terrorist attack it really was."
Overall, the summit was a valuable and thought-provoking experience that left us and the wider fellowship community with a greater appreciation for the power of collaboration across communities.
MIT Solve’s mission is to solve world challenges by finding promising community-based solutions to complex problems through open innovation and supporting the change-makers who know their communities best. Solve’s impact is global and includes uplifting equitable innovation in the United States through our Indigenous Communities Fellowship and Black & Brown Innovators in the US Program.
Solve’s 2023 US Equity Summit will be held in-person March 23-24 in Tulsa Oklahoma. The summit welcomes the Solve Community, Indigenous community members, and equity leaders from across the country. We intend to cultivate a brave space for thoughtful deliberation and earnest learning to guide meaningful action and partnerships after the event.
As an attendee of the summit, you’ll have the opportunity to engage directly with leaders like our 2022 Indigenous Communities Fellows and Inaugural Cohort of Black and Brown Innovators who are tapping into technology and lived-experiences to support under-resourced and under-estimated communities. We also hope to forge new relationships between individuals and organizations that may create impactful alliances.
We believe that supporting local under-resourced entrepreneurs is a critical step towards creating more equitable economic opportunities for all. Solve is proud to support BIPOC businesses during our time in Tulsa and we hope you join us for the exciting programming ahead.
The summit will kick off at the Osage, a Native-owned venue, and will proceed with The Real Black Wall Street Tour, led by Chief Egunwale Amusan, a descendant of Tulsa Race Massacre survivors. You can also look forward to a scenic dinner at The Vista at 21.
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation designed to support the scalable growth of community-based solutions.
At Solve, we understand that to disrupt institutionalized inequities in the US, we must support the tremendous work of Indigenous, Black, and Brown innovators across the country. Since 2018, Solve has run an Indigenous Fellowship program that has supported 36 Native American innovators from across the country that utilize traditional knowledge and technology to drive positive impact in their communities. In 2021 Solve launched the Antiracist Technology in the US Challenge, selecting seven outstanding innovators working across industries to create an Antiracist society in the United States and in 2022, we revealed our inaugural cohort of Black and Brown Innovators. These Solver cohorts are provided with a program of support that includes seed funding, a comprehensive resource needs assessment, technical/business mentorship, and tailored connections to a network of individuals and organizations that can help them scale their impact.
If you would like to learn more contact solve@mit.edu.
Mar 31, 2023
Alexandria Cruz