How an Oklahoma STEM Nonprofit Is Empowering Students to Digitally Rebuild Tulsa’s Black Wall Street
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Over a century ago, Tulsa, Oklahoma’s prosperous Greenwood District, inhabited by the African-American community, was attacked and destroyed by a white mob, resulting in the death of hundreds of people and the devastation of numerous businesses.
In an effort to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, a group of young students has embarked on a project that combines coding and history to revive some of the businesses that were destroyed during that tragic event. The Urban Coders Guild, in collaboration with local students, is building websites for these businesses as if they still existed today. While this project cannot undo the horrors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, which remains one of the most brutal instances of racial violence in American history, its creators hope that it will promote awareness of this horrific event and provide students with invaluable skills and knowledge.
"Although several businesses were rebuilt after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, none of them exist in the present day," explains Mikeal Vaughn, the founder and executive director of Urban Coders Guild, a nonprofit organization that offers STEM education opportunities to underrepresented communities in Tulsa.
By constructing these websites, the students are reimagining what these businesses would look like today. In the process, they are acquiring coding skills and delving into the history of an event that has only recently gained attention in mainstream media.
"The students were given creative freedom to utilize their combined skill sets and create impressive websites for each business, portraying the story of these establishments as if they were still operating today," Vaughn adds.
One of the students, 14-year-old Erina Katoh, is working on a project focused on The Cozy Barber Shop, which was among the establishments destroyed during the massacre. Katoh explains that the website they are building reflects what the shop might have looked like if it had survived to the present day, complete with various pictures showcasing different hairstyles for customers to choose from. It also provides information about the barber shop’s location and the owner of the business.
Katoh acknowledges that Urban Coders Guild offers a preparatory course for the future, emphasizing that she has learned valuable interpersonal skills through interacting and collaborating with others.
Urban Coders Guild offers courses in web and mobile app development, as well as lessons on project management and entrepreneurship. So far, over 60 middle and high school students have participated in the program.
In previous projects, students focused on creating prototypes for a Black business directory. Vaughn emphasizes their commitment to utilizing technology to address the needs of the community in everything they undertake.
The first semester of the course involved instruction, led by Jeremy Benedik, the program’s web development instructor, while the second semester focused on the creation of the websites, which were launched this week. Tulsa Community College students also collaborated with Urban Coders Guild to produce content and logos as part of their coursework.
The pandemic has posed challenges for the program, as it has for many other endeavors. The students had to adapt to online lessons, a format that many of them were already familiar with due to their previous virtual classwork. However, recreating the teacher-student and peer relationships in a virtual setting has proven to be a hurdle, according to Vaughn.
"Managing to keep the students engaged after a day full of Zoom classes and learning to code became an additional challenge, resulting from the first obstacle," he explains.
Eleven-year-old Emilia Nguyen, a sixth-grade student, shares that she was already aware of the Tulsa Race Massacre before participating in the project. However, she wanted to get involved to learn more about her community.
Initially nervous about the class, Nguyen quickly realized that it was a friendly and welcoming environment that encouraged learning and asking questions.
"I was afraid that everyone would be familiar with coding and would look at me strangely when I asked a question due to my confusion and lack of prior experience," she admits.
She and some of her classmates are currently working together to establish an online presence for their second business venture, according to her statement.
She acknowledges that coding has presented some challenges, and they may have to seek guidance from their instructor to troubleshoot the issues they encounter.
While she doesn’t deny that the process is not without its difficulties, she emphasizes that it is a valuable learning experience. Moreover, she finds it immensely enjoyable to collaborate with her peers, interact with them, and hear their diverse perspectives. This interaction allows them to share their expertise and gain insights from one another.
This article was originally published on Next City and is presented in collaboration with the Solutions Journalism Exchange.