Summary:

The 2022 World Class Winter Charity Gala aims to support the Greenwood District (Black Wall Street) and assist women and minority owned businesses in Tulsa. Last year’s gala was attended by 500 guests.

Description of the Event:

Once upon a time, there were three young ladies sitting on the bank of the pond. One of the ladies stood up to dive and said, “Alright, I’m going to jump into the lake now!” Question, how many young ladies remained on the bank? If you answered “2 young ladies remained on the bank”, I would say to thank your math teacher. Because you would be correct if this were a math problem. But, alas, this is not a math problem. This is a Life problem! For, once upon a time there were three young ladies sitting on the bank of the pond. One of the ladies stood up to dive and said, “Alright, I’m going to jump into the lake now!”. But she only “said” it. She did not actually jump. So, the correct answer is 3 young ladies still remained on the bank of the pond! Did you know that according to a 2019 American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, women-owned businesses now account for 42 percent of all businesses in the United States, and they are growing at twice the rate of other businesses? Women of color build up at a rate 4.5 times that of the general population. Though the number of women-owned businesses increased by 21% between 2014 and 2019, enterprises owned by women of color increased by 43%, and black women-owned businesses increased by 50%. In 2019, women of color accounted for half of all women-owned enterprises, and they have had a significant financial impact: an estimated 6.4 million women-owned businesses employ 2.4 million people and generate $422.5 billion in revenue.

The above statistics would not have been realized were it not for the entrepreneurship of the women of Historic Greenwood/Black Wall Street. Women such as Loula Williams, who along with her husband owned and operated the Dreamland Theater.

Accordingly, we invite you to the 2022 World Class Winter Gala. In all, with your guidance and support the women of Tulsa, Oklahoma will learn to build their own pipeline for entrepreneurship. While the Greenwood district will be known as Black Wall Street, we aim to be also known as the Women’s Wall Street.

The 2022 World Class Winter Gala is a charity fundraiser that aims to support the Greenwood District and directly assist women and minority owned businesses in Tulsa. Last year’s gala was attended by more than 500 guests.

To reserve your hotel stay, call DoubleTree Downtown Tulsa and mention the World Class Gala at 918.587.8000. Any questions about this event, in regards to sponsorships or donations, please call: Freeman Culver, President of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce at 918-378-2668 or send email via thegreenwoodgala@gmail.com

The World Class Winter Gala includes Cocktail Hour, Silent Auction, Dinner, Video Presentation, Awards, R&B Concert with National R&B Group "Silk" and Urban Mystic, and After Party with Celebrity Guests & More.