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Black History Month Concludes with a Chilling Recount of the Original Black Wall Street and Its Demise Due to Racial Tensions, Anger and Jealousy 

 

Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center will be presenting, Deep Greenwood Ignited: The Hidden Truth of Black Wall Street, a stage play reliving the horrific Tulsa Massacre. This important showing will run beginning Thursday, February 29 and continue through Saturday, March 2 with shows 3pm and 7pm daily and serves as the perfect ending to a month highlighting Black History. Special features include actor Jason Louder (BMF) and music from legendary gospel singers Vickie Winans and “The Prince of Praise” Byron Cage.

Set in times when racism was prevalent and segregation thrived, the play tells the story of Greenwood, a neighborhood housing a plethora of black-owned businesses and eventually came to be known as Black Wall Street. The story follows the lives of O.W. Gurley and J.B. Stratford showing their fight for the community’s economic rise. Unfortunately, as a result of the Black Wall Street’s success racial tensions increased and the area was attacked, leaving more than 1,200 homes and 60 businesses in flames and at least 300 Black Americans dead.

Now, a century after the tragedy, the victims of the Tulsa Massacre are being honored through this fact-based historical play written and produced by Oklahoma native Mia Walter. “When you leave this play, you will be enlightened, empowered, and inspired. We are giving a voice to those who came before us and fought hard to protect and rebuild their dreams” Walter said. “These are stories of real people who made a huge impact on the world we live in today.”

A story of resiliency, unity and hope, Walter’s play promises to challenge what you thought you knew about Black Wall Street and the devastating massacre that led to its demise. There will be a 3pm and 7pm showing daily and tickets can be purchased at www.ticketstorm.com.

 

Get your tickets HERE

ABOUT BYRON CAGE 

Known as the “Prince of Praise,” this Grammy-nominated 7x Stellar Award-winning gospel singer Byron Cage has been performing and recording songs since the 1980s and has become known for a s “cross-cultural, mass-appeal praise and worship” style that has kept his albums in the Billboard Gospel Top Ten almost continuously since it began in 2003. Cage is minister of music at the mega church, Ebenezer African Methodist Epsicopal (AME) Church in Fort Washington, Maryland. Since releasing his debut album, Dwell Among Us, in 1995 he has helped “praise and worship” music to become a major force

Known for hit songs including, “The Presence of the Lord is Here”, “Broken But I’m Healed”, “I Will Bless the Lord” and “Like No Other”, his repertoire of music has been song in millions of churches around the world.  Aside from his multiple award wins, he has several singles that have reached #1 on Billboard including his most recent hit “I Can’t Give Up”.

 

ABOUT VICKIE WINANS 

Six Grammy nominations, eight Stellar Awards, an NAACP Image Award, thousands of concert dates, and millions of fans around the world prove that Vickie Winans is one of the greatest artists of our generation. She’s a household name and the Hardest Working Woman in Gospel music. On the path to gospel superstardom.

Winans is one of the best-known artists in gospel music with hit after hit such as “Shake Yourself Loose,” “As Long As I Got King Jesus” and “We Shall Behold Him” to her credit. Her cd “Bringing It All Together” spent nine weeks at 1 on the Billboard gospel album sales chart in 2003 and a full year in the Top Ten. The CD also won a Grammy nomination and five Stellar Awards. Her latest CD “Woman to Woman: Songs of Life” has also topped Billboard’s gospel chart and continues to gain momentum.