The leadership of Black women will be the focus for the 45th Annual Dr. Michael T. Fagin Pan African Conference set for Tuesday and Wednesday, April 6-7.

This year’s conference will be 100 percent virtual. For more information, please the event web site.

“Our Moment Is Now” is the 2021 conference theme with discuss topics that explore will explore the intersections of racial justice, political activism and engagement, and financial capital within the pan-African community.

The annual conference will spotlight prominent and behind-the-scenes Black women leaders who inspired communities to mobilize. Programming will also acknowledge Pan-African unity in pursuit of justice and engage with Black and Brown public officials seeking reformation.

The conference will also reflect on the vision of Black Wall Street. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. As early as 1906, when O.W. Gurley, a Black entrepreneur purchased 40 acres of land in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the city’s Black district of Greenwood developed into the “Black Wall Street.” The area became one of the most affluent Black business districts in American history.

On May 31, 1921, a lynch mob grew into 1500 armed, white men who descended on Greenwood, looting homes, burning down businesses and killing hundreds of Black residents. The event became known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. The rebuilding of the district started almost immediately, however, several businesses such as the Tulsa Star – an African-American newspaper – closed permanently. The district never regained its original prominence.