A black kitchen chair sat at the corner of Greenwood and Archer Saturday, braving the near triple-digit heat, just like the human who put it there.
Underneath a canopy and surrounded by black velvet ropes, its only occupant was a sign. “Reserved for the ancestor whose sacrifices made your life possible,” it read.
The idea belonged to Regina Woods. The exhibit is a combination of her two passions — history and provoking thought. The goal, though unorthodox, was announcing the launch of her new venture Black Wall Street Travel.
“What better way to launch it (than) to have people think about the ones who got us here,” Woods told The Eagle.
The travel group has plans to offer visits to Brazil, Colombia, South Africa, Ghana and Tulsa.
On a previous trip to Ghana, Woods started discovering the foundation for different parts of the Black experience in America.
“They had a different accent, but I could hear (things) in their voice and I was like, ‘That’s where we get that from,’” she said, mimicking a husk in their breathing. “Just so many instances where I can say that’s where we get that from. I was able to start to identify more about who I was as a person.”
She identified three locations as being a root through the African diaspora:
- Ghana is liberation.
- Tulsa is economic.
- Brazil is spiritual.
Standing near the chair, Woods emphasized the term “ancestor” can be anyone who came before you.
“I want them to bring to mind their mom, their grandmother,” she said. “Ancestor can actually be someone they don’t even know. But just understand that that root system is so strong that you’re here today.”
The first trip as part of Black Wall Street Travel will bring folks to Tulsa in late April 2027. The journey to Ghana is set for August with South Africa in October and Brazil in November. Colombia is scheduled for January 2028.
