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NYSUT celebrates Black History Month with a new poster highlighting the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as Black Wall Street at the start of the 20th century. It began in 1905 after entrepreneur O.W. Gurley purchased 40 acres in Tulsa and began selling plots to fellow Black settlers to establish a community at a time of widespread racial segregation due to Jim Crow laws. Black entrepreneurs and professionals flocked to the area, so much so that Booker T. Washington, founder of the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama, dubbed Greenwood “Negro Wall Street.”

Problems began in 1921 when an accusation against a Black man, which was later dismissed, sparked two days of unprecedented racial violence. The riots left 10,000 homeless and property loss claims totaled $1.8 million, the equivalent of $27 million today.

Although the Greenwood District was rebuilt by the 1940s, it never regained its former prominence; and neither the survivors nor their families have ever received compensation from state or city officials.

Tulsa was one of several “Black Wall Streets” in the United States. Others include Bronzeville in Chicago, Illinois; Hayti in Durham, North Carolina; Sweet Auburn in Atlanta, Georgia; West Ninth Street in Little Rock, Arkansas and Farish Street in Jackson, Mississippi. The free poster is available for download at nysut.org/publications.

NYSUT is seeking Employees’ Retirement System consultants for the following regions: Rochester; Syracuse; Tarrytown/Mid-Hudson; and Western NY.

Consultants will be paid $25 an hour, (maximum 20 hours per month) plus mileage/tolls, and certain other reimbursable expenses and will be reimbursed for lost wages for training obligations.

Successful applicants should have a working knowledge of, and experience with, the state Employees’ Retirement System. Consultants will serve as contact between the NYSUT member and the NYS ERS, where appropriate, to assist individual members; and make presentations to SRP groups at regional functions, working with their Regional Staff Director and NYSUT to publicize the same.

Must be comfortable using email, text and smartphone. Willing to download Teams on personal computer and/or smartphone. Be detail oriented and able to keep good records. Stay up to date on evolving ERS information and regulations. Attend paid training periodically. Able to travel to make in-person presentations.

NYSUT members interested in applying for this position should email a resume and letter of intent to NYSUT’s Director of Constituencies & Program Services Jennifer Kaseman, at Jennifer.Kaseman@nysut.org.