The public is encouraged to see a play that depicts the rise and fall of Black Wall Street. Hunger in Paradise is a story based on true events during that time in the early 20s when racism destroyed an entire wealthy Black community. The presentation will be performed from May 20-22 at Manna From Heaven Dinner House, 3510 West Hamilton Ave.

This dramatic presentation depicts what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921. A thriving community known as the ‘Black Wall Street’ was utterly destroyed because of racial tensions. Greenwood is a neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As one of the most successful and wealthy Black communities in the United States during the early 20th century, it was popularly known as America’s ‘Black Wall Street’ until the Tulsa race riot of 1921.

At that time, White residents massacred Black residents and razed the neighborhood within hours.

The riot was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S. race relations, destroying the once thriving Greenwood community.

Within five years after the massacre, surviving residents who chose to remain in Tulsa rebuilt much of the district. They accomplished this despite the opposition of many White Tulsa political and business leaders and punitive rezoning laws enacted to prevent reconstruction. It resumed as a vital Black community until segregation was overturned by the federal government during the 1950s and 1960s. Desegregation encouraged Blacks to live and shop elsewhere in the city, causing Greenwood to lose much of its original vitality. Since then, city leaders have attempted to encourage other economic development activity nearby.

“Mary McCallum has done a phenomenal job of presenting this information in a theatrical stage play,” according to past reviews.

Dates of the play are Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 at 7 pm; and Sunday, May 22 at 3 pm. Dinner is also available.

For more information, visit www.yabblackwallstreet.eventbrite.com.