A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Dr. Malcolm A. Punter
This month, HCCI proudly celebrates Black History with a focus on real estate development and technology. The bedrock of our institution, real estate is the foundational tool for developing equity in America. And as technology innovates, it continues to level the playing field for Black and Brown people worldwide.
This week in honor of Black History Month we'd like to celebrate O.W. Gurley, a Black landowner known as the founder of Greenwood, a majority Black town that flourished in Tulsa, Oklahoma before it was destroyed by a mob of white terrorists in On May 31, 1921. Born to freed slaves in Alabama, Gurley was raised in Arkansas, and moved to Oklahoma during the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. After running a general store in Perry, Oklahoma, Gurley, a serial entrepreneur, moved to oil-rich Tulsa, and reportedly purchased 40 acres of land on the north side of the city with the vision of selling residential and commercial plots to African Americans. Gurley wasted no time, opening a rooming house, purchasing buildings and providing loans to help other Black people start their own businesses. Gurley's vision of a Black excellence has inspired generations to come.
I'd also like to highlight Alan Emtage, a systems administrator who formulated and implemented Archie, the world’s first Internet search engine. Without Emtage, we wouldn’t have Google and other websites used to search the web and optimize website content.
Stay tuned , as we recognize Black leadership and excellence all month!Save-the-date, please join us Wednesday, February 23rd for a virtual panel on Black artists, entrepreneurs and NFT Technology.
And remember...
