The Black Wall Street Times’ Black History Month 2026 Honorees

At The Black Wall Street Times, Black history is not confined to a single month. It is the foundation of our journalism year-round. But during the first week of Black History Month 2026, we are intentionally shining a national spotlight on individuals whose work has shaped culture, policy, knowledge, and possibility. These are athletes, academics, historians, activists, musicians, journalists, business leaders, and visionaries whose influence extends far beyond Tulsa’s city limits.

This focus is deliberate. North Tulsa, specifically the Greenwood District known worldwide as Black Wall Street, has always been a birthplace of Black excellence, resilience, and innovation. Long before its destruction in 1921, Greenwood stood as proof of what Black communities could build despite exclusion, terror, and systemic obstruction. More than a century later, that legacy did not disappear. It evolved, endured, and continues to produce excellence.

We want the world to understand this truth: North Tulsa is not defined by what was taken from it, but by what it continues to generate. The leaders, artists, thinkers, organizers, and builders honored here reflect a lineage of brilliance rooted in survival and sustained by vision. These stories are not anomalies. They are not exceptions. They are evidence.

Together, these honorees represent the living legacy of Black Wall Street — from survivors who transformed memory into moral reckoning, to modern pioneers whose work shapes national conversations in culture, justice, faith, business, and beyond.

The Black Wall Street Times’ Black History Month 2026 Honorees

First Row

• Alfre Woodard — An Academy Award–nominated, Emmy- and Golden Globe–winning actress whose career has centered the dignity, complexity, and humanity of Black life. Beyond the screen, Woodard is a committed activist whose work reflects intergenerational truth, cultural memory, and moral clarity.
• Hughes Van Ellis — A Greenwood Massacre survivor and tireless truth-teller who spent his final years demanding accountability for the 1921 atrocity. Ellis transformed personal survival into public testimony, ensuring Greenwood’s history could no longer be ignored or erased.
• Viola Ford Fletcher — Known globally as “Mother Fletcher,” she became one of the most powerful centenarian voices for justice in American history. Her testimony before Congress reframed Greenwood not as distant history, but as a living moral debt owed to Black America.
• Leslie Benningfield Randle — A survivor whose life represents the bridge between memory and resistance. Randle’s presence in courtrooms, classrooms, and public commemorations made clear that Greenwood’s story is not symbolic — it is lived experience.
• Cornel West — A scholar, philosopher, and prophetic voice whose work challenges moral complacency in American democracy. West’s critique of empire, capitalism, and racial injustice has shaped generations of activists, thinkers, and faith leaders.

Second Row

• Tiffany Crutcher — Founder of the Terence Crutcher Foundation and a leading voice nationally for police accountability after the killing of her twin brother, Terence Crutcher. Her work centers on grief-to-action advocacy, community healing, and structural reform.
• Damario Solomon-Simmons — Civil rights attorney and lead counsel behind Justice for Greenwood and Justice for Black Wall Street initiatives. His legal strategy reframed the massacre as an unresolved crime, pushing reparative justice into the national legal conversation.
• Kristi Williams — A National Geographic Explorer and founder of Black History Saturdays, whose storytelling uplifts Black history, culture, and global narratives often excluded from mainstream exploration. Through her work, Williams connects Tulsa to the global Black diaspora, bridging local history with international perspective.

Third Row

• Michael Todd — Lead pastor of Transformation Church and a nationally recognized faith leader redefining modern ministry through vulnerability, transparency, and cultural relevance. His influence extends beyond the pulpit into digital faith spaces and generational dialogue.
• Tyrance Billingsley II — Founder of Black Tech Street, a community-driven initiative investing in Black economic power through technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. His work revives Greenwood’s legacy through modern digital infrastructure.

Fourth Row

• The Gap Band — Tulsa-born legends whose sound defined funk and R&B across decades. Their music carried Black joy, style, and cultural influence worldwide, placing Tulsa permanently on the global musical map.

Fifth Row

• Nehemiah D. Frank — Founder and editor-in-chief of The Black Wall Street Times, a nationally recognized Black journalist who has spoken at the United Nations and appeared on major national media amplifying Black voices locally and nationally. His publication helped shift public language from calling 1921 a “riot” to recognizing it as a massacre.
• Jay Ellis — An actor and producer best known for his breakout role on Insecure and his performance in Top Gun: Maverick. Ellis’s work centers nuanced, emotionally grounded portrayals of Black manhood, expanding representation in film and television while balancing mainstream success with cultural authenticity.
• Monroe Nichols — Tulsa’s first Black mayor, making history while leading with a focus on equity, economic opportunity, and community-centered governance rooted in the city’s past and future.

Sixth row

• Carlton Pearson — A globally influential bishop whose spiritual journey sparked international conversations about faith, conscience, and religious authority. His life challenged rigid doctrine while expanding discourse on belief and personal revelation.
• Aaron “AJ” Johnson — Founder and CEO of Oasis Fresh Markets, which opened North Tulsa’s first full-service grocery store in 14 years. Furthermore, through The Oasis Projects, Johnson advances health equity and economic access in historically under-resourced communities. Nationally known as being one of the few Black-owned grocery store owners in the U.S.
• Tyler Lockett — An NFL wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, previously a standout with the Seattle Seahawks. Known for disciplined excellence, philanthropy, community engagement, and representing Tulsa with pride nationally.
• Hank Byrd — A screenwriter and producer committed to telling Black stories with emotional depth, cultural integrity, and narrative nuance. His work centers authentic Black experiences, broadening representation while challenging limiting industry norms.
• Wayman Tisdale — Former NBA standout and acclaimed jazz musician whose life bridged sports, music, and community service. Tisdale’s legacy reflects excellence, creativity, and generosity beyond a single discipline.

Final row

• Quraysh Ali Lansana — Award-winning poet, educator, and cultural architect whose work uses language as a tool for liberation, memory, and social change. Lansana’s nationally recognized writing and teaching influence classrooms, community spaces, and contemporary Black literary discourse.
• Majeste Pearson — American singer, community advocate, and arts education promoter who rose to national prominence on FOX’s The Four: Battle for Stardom. Using music as empowerment, Pearson champions youth expression, inclusivity, and healing through the arts.
• Etan Thomas — Former NBA center best known for his time with the Washington Wizards, also playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. Thomas is also a poet and activist whose writing and public advocacy confront political injustice and amplify Black intellectual resistance.
• Kolbi Jordan — A Tulsa native and singer who rose to national attention as a standout contestant on American IdolSeason 23. Jordan earned a platinum ticket and advanced to the Top 10, showcasing vocal strength and versatility. Moreover, her journey brought Greenwood’s creative legacy to a national stage, inspiring audiences through talent, resilience, and deep hometown pride.
• DeMarco Morgan — Award-winning national journalist and television correspondent whose reporting elevates Black perspectives and challenges dominant narratives. Additionally, Morgan has received honors from the National Association of Black Journalists for journalistic excellence and community impact.

---

Black history is not a moment — it is a continuum. From Greenwood to the present, Black excellence survives because its stories are told, protected, and passed forward. Independent Black media exists to document that living legacy, and this work continues because of paid supporters.

$8/month — Preserve the Legacy
Support journalism that honors Black excellence, memory, and cultural truth year-round.

$80/year — Sustain the Story
Fund reporting that connects Greenwood’s past to the leaders shaping our present and future.

$250/year — Founding Member
Build permanent Black media power committed to history, dignity, and generational impact.