From words to wealth: Bookstore’s Journey to Black Wall Street

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GREENWOOD Dist.–Over a century after Black bodies, businesses and books burned during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, the city’s only Black-owned bookstore held a grand opening at its new location on Black Wall Street Friday.

Onikah Asamoa-Caesar, owner of Fulton Street Books & Coffee, has succeeded in steadily growing her business over the last few years, but she failed to hold back tears during Friday morning’s ribbon cutting.

Pastor Sean Jarrett of New Jerusalem Church gave the opening prayer ahead of the ribbon cutting, and Rose Washington, Chief Executive Officer at TEDC Creative Capital, gave the opening statement.

Serving as Onikah’s pastor, Pastor Jarrett told The Black Wall Street Times he believes Fulton Street serves as a river in the middle of a literary desert.

“Fulton Street stands as a literary space that is so important, particularly at a time in Oklahoma when we’re banning books, limiting access on what our students can read,” he said.

Bigger, bolder, and Black-owned

The new space on Black Wall Street is several times larger than Fulton’s original location. It marks one of two locations readers can find the business, including in the Tulsa International Airport.

With wide support from the community, Asamoa-Caesar and her crew continue their mission to center Black, Brown, Indigenous and queer voices.

According to Lending Tree, 20 percent of new businesses fail within their first year. Opening Fulton Street Books & Coffee during the pandemic in 2020, Asamoa-Caesar overcame the odds and more.

“I am a proud Black woman who is a mother and an entrepreneur, and I’m not stopping no time soon, y’all,” she said to an explosion of cheers.

Black Wall Street Bookstore owner makes surprise announcement on grand opening day

Later that evening, Fulton Street Books & Coffee partnered with Atento Capital to host a mixer during the city’s First Friday Art Crawl. With food, drinks and an afrocentric vibe, the hundreds of people who attended the 5 p.m. mixer were treated to a surprise announcement.

The Black Wall Street bookstore owner began by explaining the negative reaction she received from some White folks in the community when they learned she was opening a bookstore and coffee shop.

“When people saw this Black girl trying to open a coffee shop, the commentary was wild,” Asamoa-Caesar told the crowd. Some questioned whether Black people even drink coffee.

Notably, the origins of coffee, like the origins of human civilization, originate in Africa.

“What is happening sometimes in the coffee industry, the destruction, the labor and unpaid labor. Somebody say amen,” Asamoa-Caesar said.

“Amen,” the crowd responded.

“And so, we’re launching our own coffee brand,” she revealed.

Community backs Fulton Street Books & Coffee

Across the street from Black Wall Street’s famous Liquid Lounge, Fulton Street Books & Coffee’s new location adds variety to a space that is booming with new business.

Next door to Fulton Street, Juno Medical sits ready to take in patients of all backgrounds after opening in July.

Ultimately, Black people remain unable to purchase the land once owned by Black Indigenous Freedmen entrepreneurs. However, the movement for a rebirth of Black Wall Street shows no signs of slowing down.

Mai Cazenave is a born-and-raised Tulsa resident who attended the ribbon cutting Friday morning.

“How much more can it be full circle? From this being Greenwood, where the soil of Black businesses were cultivated here, and to have another Black business move back. It is definitely a full circle moment,” Cazenave told The BWSTimes.