TULSA – This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event that decimated the thriving Black community of Greenwood, Tulsa. FC Tulsa is committed to remembering the victims of the 1921 Race Massacre and their descendants while helping Greenwood work towards a better today and tomorrow. To honor that commitment to the past and hope for the future, FC Tulsa will feature a Black-owned business in Greenwood through a Greenwood Ave. patch on all of its 2021 jerseys.
“I’m extremely thankful that we are honoring the history of Greenwood this season with the Greenwood Ave. patch,” said FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien. “It’s important that we pay homage to those whose lives were lost and the community that was torn apart. However, I believe it’s equally important to hold in memory what was there prior to the massacre. Greenwood’s history is about more than just three days of burning, it's about a community that was for years prominent and thriving. Growing up on Greenwood and knowing that history gives me a sense of pride and purpose of who I am and what I’m capable of, what we are capable of – that we can all go so much further together. This patch will serve as a reminder of our incredible potential.”
TULSA – This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, an event that decimated the thriving Black community of Greenwood, Tulsa. FC Tulsa is committed to remembering the victims of the 1921 Race Massacre and their descendants while helping Greenwood work towards a better today and tomorrow. To honor that commitment to the past and hope for the future, FC Tulsa will feature a Black-owned business in Greenwood through a Greenwood Ave. patch on all of its 2021 jerseys.
“I’m extremely thankful that we are honoring the history of Greenwood this season with the Greenwood Ave. patch,” said FC Tulsa head coach Michael Nsien. “It’s important that we pay homage to those whose lives were lost and the community that was torn apart. However, I believe it’s equally important to hold in memory what was there prior to the massacre. Greenwood’s history is about more than just three days of burning, it’s about a community that was for years prominent and thriving. Growing up on Greenwood and knowing that history gives me a sense of pride and purpose of who I am and what I’m capable of, what we are capable of – that we can all go so much further together. This patch will serve as a reminder of our incredible potential.”
The brand Greenwood Ave., designed by local artist Trey Thaxton, celebrates Black entrepreneurship and excellence in Greenwood and will appear on the sleeve of each FC Tulsa jerseys worn this season. Thaxton and his brand embodies the culture created in Greenwood over 100 years ago.
“I'm beyond humbled and honored to partner with FC Tulsa on this Greenwood Ave. patch,” said Thaxton. “This is a historic year for Tulsa and an important time in our country's history. I am grateful to FC Tulsa for blazing a trail to support an up and coming Black-owned brand with this partnership, and I hope that it can open the door for meaningful alignment with people and entities on uplifting the communities they operate in. Greenwood is not just Black history, but it's American history. While I'm fully aware that this is a "patch" on a sleeve, I hope it can help someone who sees or hears about Greenwood for the first time, face this difficult history in an unexpected way. Together, we are all Greenwood Ave."
All proceeds from Greenwood Ave. patch sales will be donated to the Terence Crutcher Foundation. The Foundation will put those funds directly to the building of the Black Wall Street Memorial, a planned Memorial that will sit in the heart of the Historic Greenwood District and will pay respect to the victims of the 1921 Massacre.
The brand Greenwood Ave., designed by local artist Trey Thaxton, celebrates Black entrepreneurship and excellence in Greenwood and will appear on the sleeve of each FC Tulsa jerseys worn this season. Thaxton and his brand embodies the culture created in Greenwood over 100 years ago.
“I’m beyond humbled and honored to partner with FC Tulsa on this Greenwood Ave. patch,” said Thaxton. “This is a historic year for Tulsa and an important time in our country’s history. I am grateful to FC Tulsa for blazing a trail to support an up and coming Black-owned brand with this partnership, and I hope that it can open the door for meaningful alignment with people and entities on uplifting the communities they operate in. Greenwood is not just Black history, but it’s American history. While I’m fully aware that this is a “patch” on a sleeve, I hope it can help someone who sees or hears about Greenwood for the first time, face this difficult history in an unexpected way. Together, we are all Greenwood Ave.”
All proceeds from Greenwood Ave. patch sales will be donated to the Terence Crutcher Foundation. The Foundation will put those funds directly to the building of the Black Wall Street Memorial, a planned Memorial that will sit in the heart of the Historic Greenwood District and will pay respect to the victims of the 1921 Massacre.
“Trey Thaxton and his organization Greenwood Ave. is more than a brand, it's a mission to honor community, legacy, and to build up people over profits,” said Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, the founder of the Terence Crutcher Foundation. “I am incredibly humbled by his and FC Tulsa's support of the Black Wall Street Memorial and their collaboration with The Terence Crutcher Foundation on this project. We are truly stronger together.”
While the patch will be sold both as a piece of the team’s jerseys and by itself at the FC Tulsa Team Shop, the club is also working with several local vendors to sell the Greenwood Ave. patch in stores across Tulsa. The patch producers, Mythic Press, will carry the patch on its website and at its Tulsa-area shops, as well as other local retailers GreenwoodAve.com, Ziegler Art+Frame in the Kendall-Whittier District and at the Terence Crutcher Foundation located inside the Greenwood Cultural Center.
This patch continues FC Tulsa’s mission to make a difference in the Greenwood and North Tulsa communities. In February, FC Tulsa made a $25,000 donation to Greenwood Rising, a historical museum being built to remember the events of 1921. Leading up to the start of the season, FC Tulsa’s front office staff, technical staff and players all took a guided tour of Greenwood, led by Tulsa Race Massacre descendent Chief Amusan and The Real Black Wall Street Tour, to become more educated on the neighborhood the team plays in and the events of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Fans can purchase the patch now at any of the locations or vendors described above or at FC Tulsa’s return to ONEOK Field on Saturday, April 17 for its preseason match against Austin Bold FC. Tickets to the match are available now at www.fctulsa.com/tickets.
“Trey Thaxton and his organization Greenwood Ave. is more than a brand, it’s a mission to honor community, legacy, and to build up people over profits,” said Dr. Tiffany Crutcher, the founder of the Terence Crutcher Foundation. “I am incredibly humbled by his and FC Tulsa’s support of the Black Wall Street Memorial and their collaboration with The Terence Crutcher Foundation on this project. We are truly stronger together.”
While the patch will be sold both as a piece of the team’s jerseys and by itself at the FC Tulsa Team Shop, the club is also working with several local vendors to sell the Greenwood Ave. patch in stores across Tulsa. The patch producers, Mythic Press, will carry the patch on its website and at its Tulsa-area shops, as well as other local retailers GreenwoodAve.com, Ziegler Art+Frame in the Kendall-Whittier District and at the Terence Crutcher Foundation located inside the Greenwood Cultural Center.
This patch continues FC Tulsa’s mission to make a difference in the Greenwood and North Tulsa communities. In February, FC Tulsa made a $25,000 donation to Greenwood Rising, a historical museum being built to remember the events of 1921. Leading up to the start of the season, FC Tulsa’s front office staff, technical staff and players all took a guided tour of Greenwood, led by Tulsa Race Massacre descendent Chief Amusan and The Real Black Wall Street Tour, to become more educated on the neighborhood the team plays in and the events of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Fans can purchase the patch now at any of the locations or vendors described above or at FC Tulsa’s return to ONEOK Field on Saturday, April 17 for its preseason match against Austin Bold FC. Tickets to the match are available now at www.fctulsa.com/tickets.
