The parcel allotted to Sarah Rector was located in Glenpool, 60 miles (97km) from where she and her family lived. I have some important news to share with all of America: those images are not Sarah Rector. She had been born into poverty as a member of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma in 1902, and received, as did every member of the Nation, a plot of undesirable land in the territory when it was made a state in 1907. At this time, the government was doling out the last of the Indian allotments before Oklahoma was admitted as a state. Even as tens of thousands of Native Americans were forcibly relocated northwest to Indian Territory from 1831 to 1850 in the genocidal journey known as The Trail of Tears, the tribes largely sided with the Confederate states during the Civil War. The Rector family actually lived far better than advertised. Rector died at the age of 65 on July 22, 1967. Du Bois himself got involved, hoping to verify this story and rectify any injustice done to Sarah. [4], Rector was already a millionaire by the time she had turned 18 in 1920. Wanting to change her life, she left Tuskegee where she had been studying and moved with her family to Kansas City in Missouri. At that point, she left Tuskegee and, with her entire family, moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Her issues with disputed guardianship continued in Kansas City, but most stemmed from greed and not legitimate concern for her welfare. If theres a lesson for others in her legacy, its in the importance of financial literacy, she said. She wasnt sleeping on a dirt floor as had been reported, but the NAACP was more than concerned. Her parents, Joseph Rector and his wife, Rose McQueen (both born 1881) were African descendants of the Creek Nation Creek Indians before the Civil war. They have sat back quietly as the rumors about their family recirculate every so often, as that false photo of Sarah is placed at the top of newspaper headlines and social media posts. In 1913, an oil driller discovered a gusher that produced a reported 2,500 barrels per day. When Sarah reached legal age, a judge found her mentally sound and capable of managing her own affairs. Nicks says her romantic escapades have been so amazing that she would be okay with never dating again. One of the greatest examples of this hypocrisy and nonsensical laws is the case of Sarah Rector, a young black girl deemed by the press and society as the Richest Colored Girl in the World, " and who was eventually declared white so she could be a member of society. Kim Kardashian is now officially a billionaire: Forbes estimates her net worth is approximately $1 billion, up from $780 million in October 2020. While her fortune had diminished over time, at her death, she still held considerable investments. Her parents were African American members of the Muscogee Creek Nation. Very interesting thank you. The land became part of the famous Cushing-Drumright Oil Field and it propelled Rector into both spotlight and scandal. By then, Rector owned stocks and bonds, a boarding house, a bakery and the Busy Bee Caf in Muskogee, Okla. Black newspapers at the time, like the Chicago Defender in 1914, were angered by this takeover. The judge also approved money for Rector to attend the childrens school at Tuskegee Institute. Still, Sarahs case was so big that it inspired the creation of the Childrens Department of the NAACP to investigate and protect children from white guardians being ripped off their land and wealth. Registry of Corporate Directors. Wikimedia CommonsThrough sheer chance Sarah Rector became one of the richest children in America. Sarah and her mother were known for their fancy Cadillacs, Lincolns and a Rolls Royce limo they raced around town. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. What changed Sarah and the Rectors life overall was a stroke of luck if you may say. Du Bois, who got involved with Sarah Rectors case when he heard rumors her money was being mismanaged by a white man. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove; December 23, 1867 May 25, 1919) was an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and political and social activist. [11] Given her wealth, in 1913, the Oklahoma Legislature made an effort to have her declared white, allowing Rector to reap the benefits of her elevated social standing, such as riding in a first-class car on the trains.[4]. In 1913, the independent oil driller B.B. In November 1913, not aware of the monthly allotments Sarah was getting, the newspaper headline read Richest Colored Girl Forced to Live in Shack. Claims were made that Sarah was sleeping on the floor and her guardian was only giving her a few dollars a month. But her relatives say those images are fake. Eventually, Sarah married William Crawford, a restaurateur whom she helped to open a second restaurant in Tulsa. When Rector died at age 65 on July 22, 1967, her wealth was diminished, but she still had some working oil wells and real estate holdings. Your Money, Your Life, LATEST LISTS In October 1914, Rector enrolled at the Childrens House, a boarding school for teens at Tuskegee Institute. Rector became a millionaire after oil was drilled on her land. They had a lavish life and were part of the elite of the time. Library of CongressW.E.B. To make it more noticeable for her, they promised this move would elevate her social status, and was going to be able to ride on first-class cars on trains as if it would mend a lifetime of discrimination. Masthead. At the age of 20, she married Kansas City businessman Kenneth Campbell and the couple hosted such local royalty as Joe Louis, Duke Ellington and Count Basie in their mansion. Rector was about 16 then and not half-Creek. The 12-year-old was soon receiving marriage proposals from suitors as far away as Germany. By the time Sarah was 18, she was worth well over one million dollars. Soon, the wells, which would come to number in the dozens, were pumping 2,500 gallons a day, with about $300 a day a 12.5 percent cut flowing Sarahs way, Bolden writes. When she was 20 years old, Sarah married Kenneth Campbell; he was known to be the second Black man in the US to own an auto dealership. Around 1906, Rector and her two siblings, Rebecca and Joe Jr., were each allotted 160 acres by the federal government, Bolden writes. At the time, Sarah Rectors net worth was estimated to be comprised of about $750,000 in oil revenue, and she was bringing in over $100,000 per year. Sarahs land, totaling 160 acres, was valued at a mere $556.50, roughly $15,000 today. She is interred in Blackjack Cemetery in her childhood hometown of Taft.[17]. Jones started to assemble the necessary equipment to check out Sarahs land near the Cimarron River. Most of the fancy parties that Sarah had where celebrities such as Duke Ellington would attend werent at the Rector mansion- they were at her home at 2600 Lockridge where she had purchased several homes on the block. Brown assumes so. Soon after arriving to Kansas City, the Rectors bought a sprawling stone foursquare at the corner of 2000 East 12th Street. She also owned stocks and bonds, a boarding house, a bakery and restaurant in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and 2,000 acres of land. [6] Sarah Rector was allotted 159.14 acres (64 hectares). Then her best friend, model Sara Recor (at the time married to music manager Jim Recor), fell for Fleetwood and began an affair with him whilst Nicks and Fleetwood were still together. She had three boys. By the early 20th century, the Creek Freedmen, as they were known, had settled in all-Black towns dotting Indian Territory,which in 1907 became the state of Oklahoma. When Rector died at age 65 on July 22, 1967, her wealth was diminished, but she still had some working oil wells and real estate holdings. HEAD BACK TO THE BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM HOMEPAGE, Age AintWhat?! EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. Following the Civil War, Rectors parents, who were formerly enslaved by Creek Tribe members, were entitled to land allotments under the Dawes Allotment Act of 1887. As a consequence of that Act, around 600 children received land, ad Sarah was granted almost 160 acres. [14], Soon after moving to Kansas City, when she was 17 or 18, she married local businessman Kenneth Campbell in 1920. When the Indian territory where Rector was born became Oklahoma in 1907, the federal government granted each member of the Creek Nation a land allotment, including descendants of people enslaved by the Nation like four-year-old Sarah Rector. At some point, the mansion was sold and Rector moved into a more modest house. The family didnt leave Kansas City as some like to report; five generations of Rector descendants still call this place home. As a result, hundreds of black children, or Creek Freedmen minors, were each granted 160 acres of land as Indian Territory integrated with Oklahoma Territory to form the State of Oklahoma in 1907. Rector, whose relatives had been enslaved by Creek Indians and later lived among the tribes members in Oklahoma, was just 11 in 1913 when Black Gold was discovered on her allotment of tribal land. When Sarah was 18 years old, she had a fortune estimated at $1 million, the equivalent of $11 million today. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Everyone has their own agenda (even those directly concerned) so we have to take bias into account. Along with her businesses, she owned 2,000 acres of river bottomland and was worth over $1 million. Mama Rose died in 1957, and Sarah passed in 1967 from a cerebral hemorrhage. At age 20, Rector married Kansas City businessman Kenneth Campbell and had three sons. How Sarah Rector Became The 'Richest Black Girl In America' She sued her enslaver for reparations and won. Mansa Musa I: The Richest Man In History Was An African King, Not Jeff Bezos. How the Telehealth Sector is Helping Us to Beat Covid-19, 5 Reasons Why You Need To Pay Attention To State Tax Nexus Laws Today, Top 4 Reasons the Property Management Companies are Thriving, Tips to avoid the fake and spam followers, Essential Equipment for Your Landscaping Business, Tow Tractors: The Benefits They Offer & Tips For Buying One. LIKE US ONFACEBOOK. Dubois, founder and editor of the NAACPs Crisis magazine, set out to discern whether the reports were true. Rectors cut was $300 each day, a considerable amount at the time. But she was also on a dual mission: She had packed two small black-and-white photographs of Aunt Sister to hand to the right authority at the African American Museum in D.C. We were going to present them and say, This is the record. According to historian Tonya Bolden in her biography Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America, Jefferson had been the familys benefactor for years and long before there was any probability of them every having money.. In researching Sarah Rector, she decided to go directly to Brown and her three sisters who are still right there in Kansas City. As its revealed in the last episode of Self Made, yes, Madam C.J. Thats not going to happen.. By this point, Sarah was the second oldest of six children, her parents welcoming Alfred, Lillie and little Rosie by 1913. DuBoisbecame concerned about her welfare. After finding out there was oil in the parcel, and trying to make some money out of it, Joseph decided to lease the parcel to an oil company in 1911. The petition was denied, and he was forced to keep paying the property tax, still without knowing that land was literally a fortune fountain. With Dave Stewart, Hall produced one of his albums titled 'Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine,' which has a #5 solo single named 'Dreamtime. The family lived simply but not in poverty; however, the $30 annual property tax on Sarah's parcel was such a burden that her father petitioned the Muskogee County Court to sell the land. The devastation of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Richest Colored Girl Forced to Live in Shack, the Defender proclaimed. Can someone update her wikipedia page with the right photo at least. By the time they had their chance to get a hold of land for their children, the pickings were slim. It was considered inferior infertile soil, not suitable for farming, with better land being reserved for white settlers and members of the tribe. The investments and payments to Sarah were overseen by Judge Thomas Leahy, who, by accounts of the time, was one of Muskogee Countys most honorable men. The town belonged to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and was one of several all-Black towns set up specifically for descendants of Africans enslaved by the Nation prior to the Civil War. Sarah Rector died in 1967 from a stroke at the age of 65. The retired phys ed teacher had traveled from Kansas City to Maryland with her partner to coach a womens softball tournament. Two years after Sarahs piece of land was leased to the oil company an independent driller hit a massive reserve of oil capable of producing 2,500 barrels of oil and todays equivalent of $7,000 for Sarahs pockets every day. The ladies loved finer clothing, but being African American, they were not allowed to shop alongside white patrons in stores on Petticoat Lane. At this point, her lawyers claimed that she owned $750,000 in oil properties along with other assets that pushed her worth to over $1 million. She even generated $11,567 in October 1913. This ended up not being true entirely but Sarah and her siblings were soon sent to school in Taft. Sarah Rector was buried in Taft Cemetery, Oklahoma. Sarah Ferguson says the late Queen was her 'total idol' and 'put you at ease straightaway' - and admits when her corgis 'bark at nothing' she 'believes it's the monarch One newspaper dubbed her the richest negro in the world.. Many Freedmen eked out a living raising corn, cotton and other common crops. Were from a generation where you dont spread family business, said Brown, a very fit-looking 72-year-old with a short afro seated in the lobby of the Hampton Inn in Bowie, Md. As such, they and their descendants were listed as freedmen on the Dawes Rolls, by which they were entitled to land allotments under the Treaty of 1866 made by the United States with the Five Civilized Tribes. While Oprahs massive fortune wasnt built on acting, alone, she deserves to make the list. 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